Trauma of the Forest (Meadema)

~ Chapter 2: The Cozy Cabin ~

Two weeks later

364 days. For almost a year now, Viv has been able to call Beth her wife. It all feels so unreal to her, as if she is living in a fantastic dream. But it is not, this is reality, the reality for which she had to break down her walls. In fact, the walls that Beth had to break down for her.

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It was Beth who rang the doorbell on a dark, rainy winter evening, after Lotte, Katie, Leah, Kim and Vic had all tried it before during training earlier that day, and over the past two weeks. They had all asked why Viv was sad, grumpy, angry, why she wasn't the Viv everyone loved to see, the big softie.

It was definitely not a good time, just before she was about to get ready for bed. Whoever was standing at the door would get a look that would radiate lightning. Her whole attitude would tell whoever was standing at the door to get away as quickly as possible.

She had flung the door open with a riot. There she stood. Beth. Completely soaked. But Viv didn't care. She was the next one to come and nag her again, to ask her again what was wrong with her. 'What do you want?'. Coldly and without much emotion in her voice, which was already clear from her face, she had greeted the blonde woman who stood in front of her door.

'Yell at me. Let it all out. I know what's going on'. Her eyebrows furrowed. Here stood Beth, the woman she wasn't sure what to think of her, the woman who was always loud, the woman who didn't seem interested in her and always hung out with the fussies. Now she was standing here at the door. Who knew what was going on with her? How? She hadn't told anyone yet. Astonishment took over her, the only sound heard were the raindrops hitting the roof.

'Come on. Scream at me. I know you need it'. Beth's voice, louder and louder. 'Come on Viv. Scream. Let it all out'. Tears formed in Viv's eyes, the emotion that she had been holding in all day, seemed to slowly come out now. All the emotion that had been building up, since that text message two weeks ago, which revealed that Lisa had left, out of nowhere.

Tears flowed from her eyes, screams came from her mouth, and Beth did the only thing she needed. She held her, took her inside, to the couch to be exact, and let her cry. This was what she needed. Not someone to ask her a hundred thousand questions, but someone to hold her, let her cry, someone who knew what she needed.

But why Beth? Why was Beth the one who knew what she needed? Yes, she had just gone through a break-up with Daan. But Viv herself is a closed book, only talks to the quiet types, so definitely not Beth. Has a hard time opening up to people. Would never cry in the arms of someone she doesn't know at all. Certainly not in the arms of someone who is completely soaked by the rain.

But still, she was now the one who could put her at ease, she was now the one who knew exactly what she needed, she was now the one Viv knew she could turn to. Beth's wet and cold clothes she was leaning against, that would normally give her goose bumps, now felt like a warm blanket. That very high wall that Viv had built, broken a little bit, by the woman she probably least expected it from. Not because Viv doesn't like her, but purely because they are so different.

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She was awakened by the sunlight shining through the crack in the curtains, which formed a warm beam of light on her face. She opened her eyes and saw her lying there, about a foot away from her own face. Beautiful, wonderfully quiet, still in the land of dreams.