“You’re a weak, pathetic man, Nathan,” she hissed as they led her out.

“You’ll never survive without her.”

“You’re going to die alone in this empty house.”

Nathan didn’t reply.

He stood silent as the troopers escorted Vanessa and Julian down the stairs.

Their boots crunched on the broken glass, the sound fading into the distance.

The room felt suddenly very quiet.

The blue light of the monitors began to fade, returning to a simple, black standby screen.

Nathan sank down onto a small wooden children’s chair.

He looked completely spent, his shoulders slumped and his hands shaking.

The girls ran to him, throwing their small arms around his neck and waist.

“Daddy, are they gone?” Lily asked, her voice tiny.

“Yes, sweetie,” Nathan whispered, holding them close.

“They’re gone.”

“They’re never coming back.”

He looked up at me, tears streaming down his face.

“Thank you,” he said.

“You kept them safe.”

“We kept them safe,” I said, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Together.”

The following morning, the sun broke through the clouds, casting a brilliant light over the snow-covered mountains.