I Quit Chasing the Red Rose

I have face blindness. If my boyfriend of three years changes his coat, I wont even recognize him.

Because of this, Ethan Vance ordered a custom coat with a giant red rose embroidered on the back.

He used to say, Just look for this rose, and my little blind girl will never get lost.

That was until his childhood friend, Chloe Mercer, returned from abroad.

We were skiing in Alaska when a massive blizzard hit. Ethan told me to stay in the cabin while he went to fetch the car.

Half an hour later, he sent me a Snapchat: "The snow is too thick. I can't drive the car in. I'm waiting for you at the corner ahead. Do you see the red rose?"

"Chloe is right. If I don't force you a little, you won't even try to recognize me."

Bravely facing the freezing blizzard, I stumbled to the corner and finally saw the coat with the red rose.

I ran over and threw my arms around him. But when the man turned around, he was a filthy, reeking, drunken vagrant!

He pinned me to the frozen ground, tearing at my clothes.

I fought with all my might, escaping with a dislocated shoulder. I ran as fast as I could and called Ethan.

But it was Chloes giggling voice that answered the phone.

"Serena, congrats! You hugged the wrong guy!"

"I made a bet with Ethan. I told him that if we put his coat on someone else, you'd hug even a hobo. Turns out I was right."

"So, for the rest of the trip, Ethan is going to the hot springs with me. Having you around just ruins the mood anyway."

In the background, Ethans pampered, helpless laugh drifted through the speaker: "Alright, you won the bet. Well do whatever you want."

Depending on someone carries a heavy price. Its so heavy that if he hands your only lifeline to a monster, you won't even have a chance to survive.

I clutched my dislocated arm in the freezing cold.

This time, I was done looking for that rose.

The automatic doors of the medical clinic slid open.

The receptionist rushed over to support me.

"Dislocated shoulder," I told her.

The doctor had me sit on a chair and pressed his hand against my right shoulder.

"Hold still."

*Pop.*

The bone snapped back into place.

I gritted my teeth, refusing to make a sound despite the agonizing pain.

The doctor wrapped my arm in a sling.

"The shoulder capsule is damaged. Don't lift anything heavy for the next two weeks." He looked up at me. "It's late. No friends with you?"

"They're busy."

I took the bill with my left hand.

As I walked out of the clinic, my phone screen lit up.

Ethan had sent a voice message on Snapchat.

I tapped play, and his voice filled the quiet night.

"Sere, are you still throwing a tantrum?"

"Chloe was just playing a harmless prank. She didn't mean any harm. Who knew you'd actually throw yourself at a random stranger with your eyes closed?"

"Where are you? Stop acting like a child and running off."

"We're at the restaurant on the third floor. I ordered your favorite dishes. Hurry back."

He didn't ask if I was okay. He didn't ask what that drunk vagrant had done to me in the snow.

To him, I was just a spoiled, dramatic girlfriend throwing a fit.

Chloes voice drifted from the background.

"Ethan, I want my steak medium-rare. Cut it into smaller pieces for me, okay?"

"Sure, babe. Just a second," Ethan replied to her.

Ten seconds later, he called me.

I pressed answer.

Chloe's smug voice beat him to it.

"Oh, Serena, sweetie, I'm so sorry! If I knew you couldn't tell Ethan apart from a beggar, I never would've made that bet. Don't be mad at him. He cancelled so many meetings to ski with me. He's exhausted."

Ethan took over the phone. "You heard her. Chloe apologized. It's freezing outside, get back here and eat. After dinner, I'll take you to the private hot springs. Stop making a scene."

I clutched the phone, staring down at my bruised hand.

Should I tell him?

Should I tell him what I just went through?

All I would get in return was a half-hearted apology and a sigh, blaming me for ruining their fun.

The pain from my right shoulder surged through my back, leaving me numb.

"Ethan," I spoke quietly.

"Yeah?"

"How's the food?"

"Pretty good. The seafood here is really fresh." His tone was perfectly casual. "Find your way back. Hurry up."

I hung up.

I went into my contacts and set Ethans number to Do Not Disturb.

At the clinic's front desk, I scanned the code to pay my bill.

Outside, a snowplow was clearing the driveway.

"Excuse me," I knocked on the driver's window. "Are you heading to the airport?"

The driver rolled down the window. "To the airport in this weather? What happened to your arm?"

"I fell," I said. "I'll pay double."

"Hop in."

Using my left hand, I pulled myself up into the passenger seat.

The plow cleared the thick snow ahead as we drove down the mountain.

The cabin reeked of heavy diesel.

With my left hand, I cancelled my return flight with Ethan.

I booked a new one, paid, and got a ticket back to Seattle on the next available flight.

My flight landed.

I returned to our empty apartment.

My right arm was still in a sling, the pain throbbing constantly.

Using only my left hand, I struggled to unzip my ski jacket.

The fabric was torn where the vagrant had grabbed me, the collar and hem stained with dried, dark red blood.

I stuffed the ruined jacket into a black trash bag.

The next afternoon.

I heard the sound of keys turning in the lock.

The door swung open.

Ethan walked in and changed his shoes.

Behind him came a pair of quiet, deliberate footsteps.

The scent of sharp, suffocating iris perfume instantly flooded the living room.

I looked over.

To my eyes, the visitor's face was nothing but a blur.

But she was wearing the exact beige coat I always wore, and her hair was tied up in a high ponytailidentical to the way my best friend usually styled hers.

She wanted to see if I would mistake her for someone else again.

I picked up the heavy black trash bag from the table and walked straight over to her.

I let go, dropping the bag right into her arms.

"Are you the new maid?" I asked, my voice flat. "Take out the trash. And hand-wash the clothes inside. If they aren't clean, I'm docking your pay."

She didn't catch the bag.

Instead, she stumbled back half a step.

The trash bag hit the floor, spilling open to reveal the torn ski jacket with its dark red bloodstains.

"Serena," Chloe gasped. "You can't even recognize me?"

Ethan stepped up from the hallway.

He bypassed Chloe and bent down to pick up the blood-stained jacket.

"Sere, how can you not even recognize Chloe?" Ethan draped the jacket over his arm. "She came all this way just to apologize to you. Stop targeting her."

The blood from the jacket stained his clean cuffs.

"She dressed up like that and barged into my home," I said calmly. "I could only assume she was the help."

"It's just a coat." Ethan picked up the trash bag, his eyes finally landing on my right shoulder. "What's wrong with your arm?"

"Dislocated."

"From skiing?" he asked. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

"You guys were busy eating."

"I told you to go back to the hotel. Why the hell did you fly back home without saying a word?" His voice grew cold. "Stop acting so childish."

I touched my sling with my left hand and remained silent.

Chloe stepped out from behind Ethan.

"Ethan, is Serena still mad at me for borrowing the red rose coat?" She played with her sleeves. "Maybe I should just buy her a new one."

"You don't need to pay her back," Ethan told her gently.

Then, he turned his cold gaze back to me.

"Its just a coat. Do you have to make everyone miserable over it?"

He dropped the trash bag by his feet.

"Tomorrow, I'll buy you ten of the exact same coats. I'll have the dry cleaners pick this one up. Chloe is exhausted from the jetlag. Stop bossing her around."

"Don't bother cleaning it," I said, turning toward the bedroom. "Just throw it away."

Ethan followed me, blocking the bedroom door.

"What are you looking for?" he demanded.

"My documents."

I pulled open the nightstand drawer.

I took out my savings book, passport, and ID, shoving them into my canvas bag.

It contained all the money I had saved over the yearsenough to cover Grandma's expenses at the care home for the next two years.

I slung the bag over my left shoulder.

"Take Chloe out for dinner," I said, walking past him. "I need to visit Grandma at the care home."

"Why are you going there now?" Ethan didn't budge.

"To pay her bills."

"I already paid for six months of her care last month."

"Grandma wants to move into a south-facing private room." I pushed past him.

Ethan grabbed my left arm.

"Stop throwing a fit, okay?" He looked down at me, his eyes full of irritation. "We are done with this topic."

I pulled my arm back.

"Fine."

Seeing how Ethan unconditionally protected Chloe, it was time to take Grandma and leave.

Chloe stood by the front door and chimed in perfectly. "Ethan, I'm starving. Let's go."

A day later.

I returned home, packed a few changes of clothes, and took a taxi to the premium nursing home in the suburbs.

Ethan had funded this high-end facility.

When we first started dating, he had pulled strings to secure the best room for Grandma.

He had promised to give me a stable home so I wouldnt have to carry the heavy burdens of life alone.

Her room was on the sunny third floor.

I pushed the door open.

Grandma Evelyn was leaning against the headboard.

She suffered from severe Alzheimer's and was extremely sensitive to her surroundings.

As I approached with a basket of fresh fruit, she shrank back into the corner, waving her hands wildly to keep me away.

"Grandma," I whispered, holding out an apple.

She slapped my hand away.

The apple rolled under the bed.

She kept her head down, her thin, skeletal hands desperately clutching her chest.

She was holding a worn, tarnished brass pocket watch.

Grandpa Arthurs name was engraved on the cover.

She wound the watch, and it let out a steady, rhythmic *tick-tock, tick-tock*.

Hearing that sound, her tense shoulders finally relaxed.

The nurse, who was changing the IV drip, turned to me. "Her condition has worsened lately. She doesn't even recognize you. Now, she only responds to this watch. She can only sleep when she hears it. The nurses tried to clean it yesterday, and she literally bit them."

I sat on the folding chair by the bed.

I watched her wind the old watch over and over.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway.

The door was pushed open.

I immediately smelled that sharp iris perfume.

Chloe walked in first, with Ethan close behind.

"Serena," Chloe walked to the bed. "Ethan said you were visiting Grandma today, so I wanted to join."

Her eyes immediately locked onto the pocket watch in Grandma's hands.

"Ethan," she gasped, turning to him. "That watch is perfect for the play I'm acting in! The props team has been searching for an authentic vintage piece like this for weeks."

She took a step forward, reaching for Grandma's wrist.

"Grandma, can I borrow this watch for a few days?"

Grandma shrank back in terror, hiding the watch under her blanket, making distressed noises.

I stood up instantly, shielding the bed.

"No," I glared at Chloe. "You can't have it. It's her lifeline."

Chloe pulled her hand back, lowering her head like a victim.

"I just thought it was sitting here doing nothing. It would make a perfect prop." She looked at Ethan. "If she won't lend it, fine. No need to yell at me."

Ethan walked over. He reached out and gently stroked my hair.

"Alright, we won't borrow it," Ethan said softly. "Whatever Serena says. Chloe, you'll have to find another prop."

A nurse knocked on the door.

"Miss Serena, Director Miller wants to see you in his office to go over the next phase of treatment."

I turned to look at Grandma. She was still clutching the watch.

"Go ahead," Ethan sat by the bed. "I'll stay here and watch her."

I walked to the door and looked back one last time.

Ethan was leaning over, carefully tucking Grandmas blanket in.

He was tall, blocking most of her small frame, but his movements looked incredibly gentle.

I walked to the Director's office.

The director pulled out an agreement, going over the dosage and risks of the new medication with me line by line.

I read every word carefully, checked every charge, and signed my name.

When I got back to the room, the door was slightly ajar.

I pushed it open.

The room was silent.

Grandma was lying flat on the bed, her eyes closed, breathing softly.

The blanket was pulled up tightly, her hands hidden underneath.

Ethan was standing in the hallway, holding Chloe's hand.

"She fell asleep," Ethan whispered to me. "She just drifted off, so we shouldn't disturb her."

Chloe had her arm slipped through Ethan's, her other hand stuffed deep in her coat pocket.

"Your arm just got put back in. Don't carry heavy things." Ethan naturally took the fruit basket from my hand. "Let's go. I'll make you some soup back home."

I closed the room door.

I followed them toward the elevator.

Through the small window on the door, I took one last glance at Grandma.

She lay there, completely still.

Ethan held my hand, his palm warm.

"Don't come here alone next time," he said. "It's not safe."

It was New Year's Eve.

Outside, fireworks were exploding in the sky, a relentless barrage of noise.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated on the table. It was the nursing home.

"Miss Serena, I'm so sorry. Your grandmother is gone!"

I stood up instantly.

"What do you mean gone?"

"Her pocket watch went missing. When she woke up and couldn't find it, she went into a frenzy. She actually broke through the safety restraints. By the time we ran after her, she had already escaped through the back gate."

The nurse was panting heavily on the other end. "A massive blizzard is blowing outside, and the security cameras can't see anything!"

I grabbed the flashlight from the shoe rack and bolted out the door.

"I'm on my way."

Sitting in the back of a taxi, I dialed Ethans number.

"Where is the watch?" I demanded.

The background of the call was filled with the deafening boom of fireworks.

Ethan was outside; I could hear the howling wind around him.

"It's New Year's Eve, Serena. What are you picking a fight for now?" Ethans voice was completely calm.

"I asked you, where is Grandma's pocket watch?!" I raised my voice, trembling.

"Chloe has it. Her film crew is running behind and needed to shoot some extra scenes. She just borrowed it as a prop," Ethan said casually. "The old woman won't die without a watch."

"It is her life! She's escaped into the blizzard because of it!"

"Then tell the staff to look for her," he snapped. "I already had my assistant buy and deliver a brand-new solid gold watch to her. Its worth a thousand times more than that cheap piece of brass."

"An old woman is easy to comfort. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill on New Year's."

In the background, Chloes voice squealed, "Ethan! Look at that huge firework!"

"Careful, don't slip on the snow," Ethan called out to her.

"Give it back," I whispered.

Ethan went silent for a few seconds.

"Do you have to act like this? Chloe is finally having a good time." He paused again. "I'll call the nursing home and have them send more people to search. Don't panic. I'm three hours away right now. I'll drive back first thing in the morning"

I hung up.

Forty minutes later, the taxi pulled up at the base of the mountain behind the nursing home.

The snow was knee-deep.

Turning on my flashlight, I began searching along the path leading from the back gate.

After her stroke, Grandma dragged her right foot when she walked, leaving a distinct trail in the snow.

In the distance, the flashlights of the nursing home staff cut through the dark night.

I spotted a faint drag mark, half-covered by the fresh snow.

Following the trail, I plunged into the deep snowdrifts and headed up the mountain.

The tracks led into a dense pine forest.

It was 5:00 AM.

I trudged through the freezing snow, step by step.

I screamed her name over and over, searching frantically.

If only I could find her, if only I could give her the watch, she would stop.

The tracks abruptly ended near an abandoned, dry concrete reservoir.

Grabbing a dead branch for support, I slid down the steep slope into the bottom of the pit.

There, curled up in the corner, was a tiny shadow.

A thick layer of snow covered her. Her hair and collar were frozen solid.

I rushed over.

I dropped my flashlight and used my frozen, numb hands to brush away the snow.

"Grandma," I sobbed.

There was no answer.

Her face was a pale, bluish-gray.

Her lips were black.

Her eyes were half-open, covered by a thin layer of frost.

Her body was stiff.

I tried to pry her hands open.

Her ten fingers were tightly curled against her chest.

When I finally managed to open them, I saw what was inside.

It was a stone.

It was roughly the same shape and size as the pocket watch.

She had clutched that stone to her chest, pretending it was her watch.

I sat in the freezing dirt at the bottom of the reservoir, pulling Grandmas stiff body into my arms.

The snow from her body melted onto my clothes, then quickly froze again.

Until her very last breath, she was just searching for her only sense of safety.

The phone in my pocket vibrated.

I pulled it out with trembling fingers and answered.

"Did you find her?" Ethans voice came through. "It was such a minor thing. Why did you hang up on me?"

"Where is the watch?" I asked, my voice dead.

"Are you still obsessing over that? I told you, I bought her a gold one." Ethan sighed. "Did you find her or not? Chloe just found out you were panicking. She's been crying, feeling incredibly guilty for borrowing it. If you want to scream and yell, do it at me. Don't freeze yourself out there. And stop making Chloe feel bad."

The snow kept falling.

I took the stone from Grandmas chest.

I slipped it into my pocket.

Then, I tightened my grip on her cold, stiff corpse.

"No need," I said into the phone.

"What do you mean, no need?"

"She's dead."