The Sway and Slide of Love

Before the woman could finish speaking, her husband yanked her arm sharply. Only then did she realize what she'd said and quickly cover her mouth.

"There I go again, always saying the wrong thing. Don't worry. I'm sure Rosie and the others will be fine."

Noelle couldn't hear anything else the woman said after that. All she knew was that time was slipping away, bit by bit.

The people trapped at the ski area had to know that their loved ones were anxiously waiting for their news. If they were safe, they would have reached out as soon as possible.

But there was only radio silence from them.

Even now, Seline's phone was still turned off. The cold, automated voice on the other end of the line made Noelle feel as though she were falling into an endless abyss. She didn't know how she was still standing, how she hadn't collapsed from the sheer weight of fear.

The avalanche finally came to an end, and the rescue team arrived. It wasn't until the staff anxiously explained the situation that Noelle finally snapped out of her daze. She immediately followed behind them, but she was quickly stopped.

"Ma'am, you can't go up there! There's still a risk of another avalanche. You-"

"My friend and daughter are up there." Noelle's voice was hoarse and filled with desperation. "Please, let me go with you."

She had been holding herself together this whole time, keeping a tight grip on her rationality. If she hadn't, she might have run straight toward the avalanche the moment it happened.

But she didn't.

Because she still held onto a sliver of hope. She had even imagined returning to the hotel to find Seline and Rosie waiting for her, laughing and tetting her it was all just a prank-that they had never gone up the mountain at all.

But that wasn't the case. Even now, there was no news from them.

If she had to keep waiting here, Noelle would lose her mind. Yet, despite hernoveldrama

pleading, they still refused her request.

"Ma'am, you'll only add to our workload."

That single, dismissive sentence made Noelle freeze. Then, she slowly lowered

her hands, her eyes dropping as well.

"I shouldn't have let them go," she

suddenly muttered, her voice trembling. "Why didn't I stop them? thought about stopping them, so why didn't I insist? If only I had held them back. Why did I agree to let I Rosie go?

"She just recovered from leukemia. It must be so cold up there. She must be looking for me. I just want to be with her. I just want... to be with her."

Noelle's voice grew fainter, her teeth biting into her lip until it bled, but she felt no pain. All she could hear

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voice in her head, her.

It was Rosie-calling her "Mommy" over and over.

She was waiting for her, but Noelle couldn't go to her. She just wanted to see Rosie.

Noelle took a few more steps forward, but then she started swaying. And in the next moment, everything went black.