• He put his head between his knees and began crying. Ever since it happened he
    felt detached from the world, nothing was real. He floated around, barely able
    to make out the words being spoken to him. Everyone was concerned, yet he
    didn't care. Nothing was important to him. There was no reason to live.



    *************************************************************************************



    Gene was trying to be as calm as possible, anger leaked through his
    voice," Look, they just spent two weeks with us , I don't understand why
    we have to spend the holiday weekend with them in a cabin. Do you realize they
    don't like me?"



    Alaska smiled her sweet smile, "I know hun, but they're my parents and I
    can't deny them this invitation! Just this week and they'll leave us alone, I
    promise." She tipi-toed and kissed him, he clenched his jaw. She smiled.



    To him, there was something else, something in her smile. She was amused.



    "She's up to something," he thought, "She probably wants me to
    go fishing with Jeffrey. I can't fish with her dad."



    Alaska came in the room and took the polo shirt he had been folding and put it
    in the luggage. Was she happy about his unhappiness?



    "I'm going to call my parents." She turned and pranced out of the
    room.



    An hour later everything was packed and in the car. Gene would be driving while
    Alaska slept. He had never been Jeff's cabin. They never invited him to their
    house to visit, to dinner at a restaurant yes- but with a bit of reluctance.
    Why would they invite them to spend a whole weekend with them in a small cabin?
    They became more distant after Alaska and Gene's marriage; they could not
    overcome their differences, even after two years. Alaska had surely begged Mary
    and Jeffrey to try to accept him, which was what this vacation from hell was
    all about.



    He could already imagine all the awkward silences, the devious stares. He
    slapped the stirring wheel and the car slid a bit. By this time, they were on
    the highway out in the elevated wilderness. It was getting cold and fog started
    hugging all the pine trees that lined the highway.



    Alaska woke up startled by the smack," What's wrong?" She set her
    feet on the dashboard.



    He looked up at her and noticed she was happy. "Why do we have to
    go?" he inquired.



    "Look you'll enjoy our time, I promise."



    "How are you so sure?" He asked her. " What tells you that this
    weekend won't be filled with fake smiles and sour looks once I turn my
    head?"



    "Because I asked them to be accepting." She said.



    "I knew it! This was all your idea why can't we just forget about
    it?" He yelled. The car swerved a bit and Alaska grabbed on to her seat.



    "Look can we talk about this later? Keep your eyes on the road or we are
    going to crash, please." She grabbed for his hand but he jerked it away.



    "I can talk and drive, I want to hear why you forced this upon me, I want
    to know now!"



    Alaska's face was angry now," Why? Why?" She asked sarcastically.
    "I'll tell you why! Because they at least make an attempt to like
    you!" Her voice cracked," Because they invite you to dinner to try to
    get to know you better but you close yourself and won't let anyone in! How do
    you want them to like you if you keep acting like a jerk to them! You don't
    even make an attempt to get along! You don't care about them. If you really did
    love me you would at least make an attempt to get along with them. Why did we
    even marry? You don't really love me." She was sobbing, she really meant
    what she had said, she loved Gene, but hated the way he behaved.



    He looked at her earnestly, "Bullshit."



    Alaska looked at the speedometer and screamed, "Are you crazy?! What the
    hell are you doing slow down!" They were going at 110 on the highway. It
    was foggy and he could barely see anything.



    He took his eyes of her face and looked at the speedometer. His eyes widened,
    he had not realized how fast he had been going. He began to slow down and say sorry
    but it was too late.



    The car hit the side railing of the highway and broke through. Alaska screamed
    and tried to get her feet off the dashboard. The car crashed into a pine tree.



    Everything after that was blurry for Gene, but not for Alaska, there was going
    to be nothing left for Alaska, no more smiles, no more singing, no more of
    anything.



    Gene looked around and saw her weak body in the mangled car. He had no idea how
    he had gotten out, the front of the car was nearly divided in two by the tree.
    He went to the passenger side and tried to help Alaska out. She was a bit pale,
    and cooler than usual. He looked at her chest and saw she was not breathing. He
    grabbed the door but could not open it. The door was jammed, he broke the glass
    and tried to pull her out but her body was pinned. He had done everything he
    could to help her out.



    *************************************************************************************



    A year after the accident was not enough for him to get over it. It was his
    fault, he knew it. He had murdered the only thing he had ever loved.



    Gene's life had gone downhill since then.



    The doorbell rang, he stood up. He was tired of all the people who went to go
    check on him. Everyone checked on him except two people, Mary and Jeffrey. He
    knew they would not forgive him, how could they?



    He opened the door and saw a letter on the floor.



    "Gene, I'm sorry we haven't visited, we were too ashamed of how we treated
    you, we knew she loved you and you loved her. We hope that you can forgive us.
    And we are really sorry about both of your losses. She was only two months in
    and wanted to surprise you, Sincerely Mary."