The Christmas Eve He Left Me in the Cold

"Attention, travelers. Snow is still piling up. The interstate will close in twenty minutes, and no vehicles will be allowed to leave."

The travel plaza manager slid the registration form toward Daniel. "Mr. Walker, the motel has only two heated suites left. Both have private bathrooms."

"I'll take both."

Daniel signed his name, took the room keys, walked past me, and handed them to Claire. "You take one room, and Buddy gets the other. Keeping people and pets separate means everyone gets some peace tonight."

I stood behind him, my fingers still frozen around my car keys.

Claire didn't take them right away. She glanced at me. "That doesn't seem right. Eileen's still here."

"She has the car. She can run the heater." Daniel finally looked at me, his gaze lingering for exactly two seconds. "Go to the public lounge first. Once I get Claire settled, I'll come find you."

A woman holding a child overheard him. "You're so thoughtful toward your girlfriend. Even in weather like this, you remembered her dog."

The child peered curiously at Claire. "Does Buddy get a big room all to himself?"

Claire gave a small, tight-lipped smile. "He's timid. He can't handle noise."

"She hasn't been doing well either. She can't be crowded in with strangers." Daniel supplied the rest of her justification, making the arrangement sound perfectly reasonable.

The manager reminded them, "If the dog stays in a room by himself, you'll need to sign a pet-care waiver."

"I'll sign." Daniel took the pen and wrote down his name.

The form took me back to my first Walker family Christmas gathering five years earlier. Daniel's mother, Helen Walker, needed someone to take her to a follow-up appointment. Daniel held my hand. "Eileen is the most attentive person I know. I trust her with things like this."

After that, I was the one who took Helen to her appointments, dealt with the leak at the house, and prepared the holiday gifts and dinner.

Now the roles were the same, but Claire was the one receiving his care. Even her dog came before me.

"Daniel." I stopped him.

He was checking room numbers and didn't look up. "What?"

"Where am I staying?"

"There are benches and power outlets in the lounge. Charge your phone. If you're hungry, get something from the restaurant." He spoke as if his plan were the only reasonable one.

"You know I can't stand the cold, don't you?"

"I know. You can go sit in the car too. It's quieter than the lobby."

Then he turned away and readjusted Claire's scarf.

Claire coughed softly. "I haven't taken my medication today. I might start feeling sick."

"Is it in your bag?"

"I think I left it in the car."

"I'll get it."

Daniel didn't even ask where the keys were. He headed straight for the parking lot.

The woman who had spoken earlier looked at me, then at them. "Are you Mr. Walker's sister, or just a friend?"

I opened my mouth, but before I could answer, Daniel had already turned back. "Eileen, give me the car keys."

I gripped the keys in my palm and didn't hand them over. "I can't stay in a room?"

"You'd make Claire nervous."

"Why would seeing me make her nervous?"

Daniel walked back and lowered his voice. "Don't force her to deal with complicated relationships on Christmas Eve. She just got out of a failed marriage. Her emotions have been unstable."

"What complicated relationship do you and I have?"

He reached out and touched the back of my hand. It used to be the way he calmed me. "You're the person I worry about the least. You don't need me watching over you every second."

That sentence used to make me feel trusted. Now I finally understood what it meant: he had simply decided I no longer qualified for his care.

Martha Greene, the motel owner, came out from behind the front desk and lightly touched my arm. "Sweetheart, don't fight over a room key on Christmas Eve. Those two look more like a family. And you shouldn't go out there alone."

I didn't explain on Daniel's behalf. I didn't correct her either.

Daniel reached for my car keys. I pulled them back immediately. "The keys stay with me."

His eyebrow twitched. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere that will actually let me stay."

"The highway is closing any minute. You can't leave."

"That's my problem."

Daniel finally realized I wasn't following his plan and heading to the lounge. He looked at me, his tone taking on a patient, condescending edge. "Eileen, you have a car, a phone, and you've always been healthy. Adults should learn to take care of themselves."

"Fine." I nodded. "You take care of the patient who needs you. I'll take care of myself."

I collected my luggage from the front desk and turned toward the seating area out front. Martha hurried after me. "Sweetheart, are you really leaving? Your husband is still inside."

I gripped my car keys and texted my aunt, Linda Bennett, in Princeton. "Aunt Linda, is the little house still livable?"

She replied quickly. "Yes, the heating was just serviced yesterday. You can come back anytime."

I opened New Jersey's vital-records website and booked the first available appointment after the holiday to search for our marriage record.

When I entered my name, I paused. In five years, I had never seen the marriage certificate myself. Daniel said his mother was keeping it, and I believed him.

Now, all I wanted to know was whether I was actually Mrs. Walker.