Winter Cabin

"We should get away for a week" Mandy suggested to Lauren as they were sitting down to breakfast. The same way they always do before they go their separate ways to work. Lauren looked up from the newspaper that she had been reading "I don’t think that we can do that right now. I have a ton of papers to grade and you have the bookstore. Who will run it if we were to leave?" She asked as she hid behind the newspaper again.

"Christmas break is coming up in a few weeks we can go then so you don’t have to worry about grading papers, and I just hired a new manger. I can train her in the mean time to take over the store while we are gone”

"I still don’t know about this”

"That's exactly why I want to do it. Our lives have become so predictable in the last few years. Do you remember when we first met? You used to be so adventurous."

"Yeah that was when we were in college and we could just take off with no care in the world, but each other.”

“I feel that we are losing the flame.” Mandy looked down at her empty plate, “I’m afraid that if we don't do something soon we are going to suffer from lesbian bed death or worse."

"That will never happen to us” Lauren said dismissively “it only happens to lesbians with kids. Besides what could be worse than lesbian bed death?"

"That's not true! It can happen to anyone. We could lose each other and only stay together because we think it’s what the other one wants, or stay together for fear of hurting the other”

"Ok then, if you are so concerned about it we can go up into the mountains for Christmas instead of spending it with our families this year. You make all the plans and I will let our families know.” Lauren relented. She could tell that Mandy was incredibly excited about going into the mountains. She was also a little excited about going but only because she really didn’t want to spend another Christmas with the in-laws. Once she called and told both of their families that they decided they wanted to spend a Christmas alone together she left for work.

Lauren works at the college which she earned her master’s degree from. After her first class that morning she thought about what Mandy had told her at breakfast. We are losing the flame. Things used to be so intense but since we have committed ourselves to each other I find myself looking at other women on campus. I feel guilty because I daydream about taking one of them into my office, and locking the door for the rest of the day. But I still love Mandy and I don’t want to be unfaithful to her. Perhaps this vacation will help me remember why I choose to be with her, instead of all these other women.

For the next few weeks as Christmas break was getting closer they could feel the difference in their relationship. They seemed to be more and more attracted to each other. It was almost like they were in college again every time they passed one another there would be small touches here and there. Their excitement was almost palpable.

The day before they were to leave they decided to do some last minute shopping and prepare for the time that they would spend alone. “I was thinking that perhaps we could buy the cabin. It’s up for sale, and if we owned it we could run away from everything whenever we choose and reconnect with each other” Mandy said as they walked into a very interesting furniture store that sold a variety of things including rugs.

“I think that’s a very good idea” Lauren said out loud but thinking inwardly I can’t believe I’ve almost cheated on the love of my life. My T.A. does not make it easy on me to be faithful. They walked around the store trying to decide if there was anything that looked interesting enough to take with them up to the cabin. Mandy found a bear skin rug she thought would look good in front of the fire place. “What do you think about this rug?” she asked

“I’m not sure I want something like that in our new place”

“Why not?”

“You know that I don’t agree with killing animals just for pleasure, or because they would look good on a wall.”

“I know” Mandy replied a little disappointed as she looked at the tag “but this is faux.” Lauren thought for a moment noticing that Mandy had that look in her eyes; the look that says she really wants it but she’s not going to say how much just in case Lauren decides that she doesn’t.

“Okay I guess since it is faux fur, and if you really think that it would be a good addition to the house.”

“I do!” They purchased the rug and walked back towards the car to put it in the trunk before they went into any other store. Lauren walked Mandy to the grocery store because she is the one who usually does all the cooking and she wanted to walk to the hardware store and buy an ax because she had a feeling that she was going to need it. “Okay, honey you get all the groceries and I will get the rest of the stuff we need for the cabin. If you think of anything text me.”

“Sure thing my love. Is there anything in particular that you would like for me to get?”

“Not really, you know what I like” Lauren smiled and gave Mandy a brief kiss before walking away.

The next day they drove to the cabin in silence each woman lost within her own thoughts. It was not far from the city so the ride was fairly short. The radio was playing and the weatherman came on “there’s a large storm coming in from the north…” Laruen interrupted the announcer “I hope that we don’t get snowed in. I think when we get there we will unpack the car. You can set up the house and I will chop some wood just in case we do.” Mandy smiled “ok that sounds like a plan.”

It was turning into a cold winter night, a thick layer of snow already on the ground outside. Lauren walks into the cabin stomping the snow off her feet and shaking the snow off of her. “I think that we are going to be snowed in tonight." She says to her partner, not looking up at Mandy as she turns to put the chopped wood next to the door. "That's fine with me." Mandy states matter-of-factly. Hearing her tone Lauren looks up to find Mandy completely naked in front of the fire on the bear skin rug. Her jaw dropped Mandy looked very sexy and almost unreal sitting on the rug bathed in firelight. On the rug next to her sat a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries along with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses were sitting on the wood floor. There was a look in her partner's eyes that says they may be snowed in but they won't be cold.

The next day as they lay in each other’s arms listening to the radio playing quietly in the back ground the weatherman come on the radio, Lauren leaned over to turn it up “we are expecting an even larger storm to come in tonight and it looks like it will stay through Christmas…” Mandy looked over at Lauren and said with a smile “well looks like we may be snowed in for the rest of the week”

“I guess in that case I should get up since the snow seems to have stopped falling for the moment. I need to go out and chop more wood to make sure that we will have enough.” Lauren said without moving. She didn’t want to leave the comfort of the warm bed or her partner’s arms.

“Even if we run out of wood for the fireplace, there are other ways to keep warm.” She said as she snuggled closer and placed her head into Lauren’s neck. Lauren smiled and thought I’m so glad I never went along with my T.A. even though she did her best to get me alone and make me unfaithful; I would have never forgiven myself for giving up the best thing in my life. Coming up here was the best idea Mandy could have suggested to keep our relationship from falling to pieces.