Hyrum approached Livia the following day at breakfast. “Livia, I need a favor.”

“I’m not in the mood to grant favors,” she muttered.

Hyrum placed a stack of folders next to her plate. “These papers are the contract I arranged with Lars for help at the dairy.”

“Okay,” Livia said. “What does that have to do with me?”

“They’re due to be signed before the 26th. This morning Corvin and his family traveled up to their family Cabin for the Christmas holiday. Lars contacted me and said it would be impossible for them to get home by the 26th because a storm is coming. So, I need you to drive these up to him, make sure he signs them, and then drive them back down to me,” Hyrum said.

Livia eyed the folders. “Why not have Caecilia?”

“Because she has family commitments to keep her busy this week, and she’s already exhausted.”

Caecilia had run around all week trying to arrange the holiday celebrations with her family. She’d had an exhausted look on her face each night at dinner for the last three days and then gone to bed early.

“You do it,” she insisted.

“You know that Christmas is a tough time for families in need. I need to work a couple of long days before the holiday to ensure we’ve done everything possible to help,” Hyrum said.

Livia looked at the files with a growing sense of horror. There was no way she could insist that Gaius do it. Their Paterfamilias couldn’t be trusted. She was not prepared to be responsible for this deal to fall through. She could not refuse such a crucial request, but she tried anyway. “I don’t know where the Cabin is—”

“Well, call his cousin, Terrance? Ask him, because I don’t know how to get there either. Then go.”

Livia sighed, resigned. “Fine.”

Livia finished breakfast. Today was her last shift at Delores,’ and they were having a small party instead of an actual shift. Livia made chocolate chip cookies with cayenne pepper in true Saturnalian spirit. Delores gave everyone an overstocked lavender-scented spray.

When she got home, Livia called Terrance. “Hey, I need a favor.”

“What’s up?”

“Can you give me directions to Corvin’s family cabin?”

“Why?”

“Hyrum and Lars are negotiating a contract for the dairy—”

“Right, I heard about that. The deal relieved the entire family.”

“So, Lars said he couldn’t get back to sign the papers this week. So Hyrum wants me to drive up there and have him sign the papers and return.”

Terrance gave her detailed instructions on how to get to the cabin and even emailed her a map. He ensured she knew the safest places to pull over if she needed to stop. She found the advice a little overkill. She would drive straight there and back, but she appreciated the advice anyway.

“It’s a long drive, Liv,” Hyrum said. “So I put some supplies in your trunk.”

“Okay, why would I need supplies?” she asked.

He shrugged. “It’s a really rural area.”

“According to the information Terrance gave me, it’s about two and a half hours away. So, I should be back around dinner,” Livia said.

Hyrum looked at his phone, eyes intently studying something. “You should be fine. You need to leave right now, though.”

Hyrum handed her a lunch he had packed and a gallon of water.

Livia laughed. “Hyrum, you think I’m going to need this much?”

“Means that I don’t have to clean a water bottle,” he muttered.

“Since when are you that lazy?” she joked.

“Since I have a full-time job, a wife, and a kid on the way,” Hyrum retorted, with stress lacing his tone.

Livia decided not to cause Hyrum any more trouble and left the house. Livia shook her head as she put the gallon of water on the floor of the passenger seat. “Ridiculous.”

Then she slid into the driver’s seat, glanced at the map Terrance gave her, and started up her GPS app. He’d warned her she might lose cell service and to download the maps onto her phone, so they worked. Livia had done that, so she should be fine. She looked over her shoulder and pulled out of the driveway.

####

With Terrance’s instructions as a guide, Livia drove the two hours to Corvin’s family cabin and knocked on the door. Flakes of snow drifted down all around her.

Someone vaguely familiar opened the door. Silvia? Was that her name? “Can…I help you?” she asked, confused.

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“May I speak to Lars?” Livia asked.

“Lars?” she asked uncertainly. Her eyes drifted to the snow falling behind her. “You better come in.”

Livia waited in the foyer, but Lars didn’t come to her first. It was Aurelia. She looked concerned. Livia’s nerves spiked so suddenly that she thought she might throw up.

Aurelia forced a smile. “Livia? This is a surprise.”

“I know,” Livia nodded.

She tilted her head to the side the way Corvin did. “Did you come on a matter of political or personal business?”

Livia blinked. “Um, Hyrum sent me with these papers.” She gestured to the folders she held in her hands. “So Lars could sign them. I could wait in my car while he signs and then leave…

Aurelia raised a single eyebrow. “So, you’re here on House business, not personal business?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess?” Livia answered. Aurelia hesitated. The awkward realization that her presence was unwelcome flooded Livia. “I’m sorry, Aurelia. I’m just trying to do what Hyrum asked.”

“Wait here, one moment.”

It was a long time before anyone came to the door. Livia took in her surroundings. She was standing in a front room with a massive fireplace where a large fire was currently burning. Behind her, nestled in a bay window, stood the Christmas tree. She could see straight into the dining area, and the counters in the kitchen, but the rest of the room was hidden behind the stairway to the upstairs.

When Corvin came around that stairwell, Livia knew he was angry. There’d been a lot of times she’d assumed he was angry, but now there was no mistaking it. As he approached, Livia backed up against the door and considered fleeing.

Corvin saw this, and his jaw clenched. “They said you wanted to speak with me.”

He hid the anger well. It didn’t come out in his tone. It was the only way Livia dared to say, “No. That is not what I said.”

“Come,” he gestured, speaking sharply. “This way.”

Livia knew she wasn’t in the position to argue. “Alright.” She lowered her head and followed.

They sat across from each other at one of the tables set up in the dining room. Corvin tried to mask his anger and Livia her fear. Livia tried to gather the words to speak. Her brain stopped processing as she looked into his hazel eyes that had turned a muddy color she’d never seen before. Three feet of the table separated them, but it could have been a chasm.

Suddenly, she was so exhausted. Her eyes drifted to an imperfection on her fingernail. What had been with all of Terrance’s warnings anyway? The roads were straightforward and well-maintained.

“Livia,” Corvin snapped. “Say what you’re going to say.”

Her eyes flicked back to his face. She remembered Justin’s advice about being brave. Livia considered all the things she could say.

She couldn’t do it. “I don’t have anything to say to you right now.”

Corvin lifted an eyebrow. “Why are you here then?”

Livia pressed the folder of papers across the table. “To get these signed.”

Corvin slid the folder across the table and flipped it open. He thumbed through the papers and stood. “I’ll be right back.”

Corvin returned with his parents. Lars approached Livia. “Aurelia and I discussed what we needed to do in this situation. We decided you’ll spend the night since it’s already snowing.”

“What?” Livia gasped. “No, no, no, no.”

“That was obviously part of this plan, wasn’t it?” Mel asked, entering the room with her sisters.

It was then Livia realized why Terrance’s warnings were so detailed. “Oh no!”

He hadn’t been worried she’d get lost. He was concerned the storm would come in before she could get here. And Hyrum! Packing the food and water? Putting supplies in her trunk? That was all in case she got caught in the storm.

Livia pulled out her phone from her back pocket. “Terrance said there was a hut I could stay—”

“Terrance,” Corvin said. “He sent you up here?”

“No. Hyrum did, but Terrance gave me directions—”

Corvin pulled Livia’s phone from her hand without permission. He studied it. “That bastard! That hut has no heat!”

“He mentioned that, but he told me where the supplies were stashed to start a fire—”

“Livia, this is not okay!” Corvin shouted, shaking the phone at her. “The fact you think we’d let you stay in these conditions is insulting! I won’t listen to that type of talk!”

Livia flinched and scurried away from him until her back touched the wall. Her heart was racing a million beats a minute. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Livia was shaking like a leaf. Corvin took a deep breath but couldn’t hide how upset he was. “Why did you agree to do this? It was so dangerous! You could have died! I might have had to dig your frozen body from a snowbank on the side of the road!”

“I didn’t know there was a storm coming!” Livia yelled. “I thought it was a hard drive cause the cabin was difficult to find. I thought Terrance was telling me what to do if I got lost. Hyrum was so insistent that I leave immediately. I don’t understand. Why would he do this to me?”

The entire cabin was silent as Livia’s breaths became ragged. Finally, her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please, don’t hurt me.”

“Livia,” Corvin asked calmly. “How would hurting you fix anything?”

“You’re mad,” she said. Trying to fight her uneven breathing and failing.

“We don’t hit when we’re mad in my family,” he said.

Livia rocked back and forth, trying to soothe herself and calm down. “Sometimes y-y-you c-can’t unlearn-n-n-n things.”

Corvin crouched down, forearms propped on his thighs. His hands hung relaxed and open where she could clearly see them. “There is no need to be afraid. Take deep breaths. You’re safe here.”

“I r-ruined your holiday. I-I s-shouldn’t have listened to Hyrum. But he’s never done something like this,” Livia shook her head and clenched her fists in her hair. “I shouldn’t have agreed to do this for him. I’m so sorry. This is my fault. You have every right to…be angry.”

Corvin reached out a hand and brushed her cheek. The touch was soft, but it still terrified Livia. She grasped his wrist and forearm with both hands to control his movements. Corvin remained still and brushed his thumb across her cheek repeatedly. “We’ll make the best of it, Livia.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know. I am, too,” he spoke quietly. “I lost my temper, and that frightened you. I’m sorry.”

Some of Livia’s trembling calmed. Her breath started to even out. She squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m sorry I’m like this. Everything is so…so overwhelming lately—it’s been a long time since….” Livia had to stop to gasp for air. “this has happened.”

Livia released Corvin to put her hand over her heart. She desperately willed it to stop racing. Tears spilled over her cheeks.

Corvin inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled. “Which is why it’s important while you’re here to relax, okay? We’ll get you comfortable, and you’ll let us take care of you.”

“I’m very, very sorry, Corvin.”

“Livia, no more apologies. It’s behind us from this moment. Let’s focus on getting you comfortable, alright?”

Livia nodded. Her breath was coming steadier now. Her racing heart was slowing. She’d been exhausted before, but now she was limp with fatigue.

Corvin said, “I’m going to have Epiphany, and Alia find you a place to rest in the girl’s room. You look exhausted. Try and sleep. We’ll wake you for dinner.”

Epiphany gave her a kind but uncertain look as she guided Livia up the stairs. She gave Livia a spot to sleep in a room full of bunk beds. A linen closet in the hallway produced sheets, pillows, and blankets that smelled fresh and clean. Silently, they made up the bed, and Epiphany left the room. Livia climbed between the sheets and closed her eyes. She didn’t think it was possible to sleep, but she did.