“Good morning, Caitlin,” Bob greeted as he passed with a mug of boiled coffee.
“Morning, Bob,” she said with a smile. “Any of that left?”
“On the counter,” he said, heading for the front door. “Sugar too if you want it.”
“Thanks,” she called, realizing she’d put a button in the wrong hole and had to redo them.
Rounding the corner, she was met with a chorus of ‘good morning’s and smiles from the handful of people finishing their food.
“Hey sleepy head,” Nicole teased, bumping her in the shoulder. “You finally decided to join us, huh?”
Caitlin gave up on the top button, leaving her grey tank top mostly showing.
“Booker didn’t wake me,” she said. “Again.”
Nicole grinned. “Yeah, he told me to let you sleep in.”
“Everybody’s going to think I’m the laziest member of this group if he keeps that up.”
Handing her a clean mug, Nicole shook her head. “I don’t think anyone would ever call you lazy.”
Pouring half a cup of coffee from the stainless-steel kettle, she considered adding a spoonful of sugar but decided against it, always considering where she could save and ration, despite the luxury they were surrounded by.
Desi’s mention of her grandfather’s farm outside Santa Fe had stuck with them for weeks. She wanted to go back, if not to live, then to see if maybe her elderly grandfather had survived the outbreak.
The journey had been hard, and nearly impossible at times, but as they rolled up to the gates of the property, it was all worth it.
Caitlin admitted, when she heard ‘farm’ she’d thought it would be a humble piece of land with a small house and maybe a barn.
She hadn’t expected the hundred and twenty acres of a pecan farm, or the neo-Spanish architecture of the giant ranch house at the top of the hill.
And the sturdy wrought iron fences and added chain link surrounding the perimeter? Well that was enough to send everyone’s hearts aflutter.
Desi’s grandfather, Chuck, had held on but his health had rapidly declined once his medicine ran out and the town had become overrun.
She got to be with him for a few more days before he passed in his sleep under Scott’s care.
His last words were to Desi, telling her to stay. To build a life again.
With everyone.
“You want something to eat?” Vanessa asked, stirring the eggs in the pan. “I promise there are no shells in them this time.”
Caitlin smiled. “Thanks. I’m just going to stretch my legs first.”
As she rounded the granite topped island in the center of the kitchen, she caught Nicole reaching on her tiptoes for a mixing bowl.
“Hold on, I’ll get it,” Caitlin said, setting her mug aside. “No need for you to go wrenching your back again.”
Backing up slightly, Nicole sighed, and placed a hand on her swollen belly. “Remember when I was spry? Lithe? Light as a feather and fast as the roaring river?”
“I think you’re describing a Disney character,” Caitlin said, retrieving the bowl and closing the cabinet. “Besides, little Bridget or Liam in there is going to be very impressed with their mama no matter how many talking animal sidekicks you have.”
“Promise me you’ll remind them I dealt with puffy ankles and heartburn for months just for them.”
“Daily, and with accompanying musical numbers,” Caitlin said, handing her the kitchenware before picking up her mug once more.
Wandering around the carved wooden table, she said hello and good morning to several people before stepping out the front door onto the wide covered porch.
Their little enclave was already wide awake, the sounds of hammering and sawing filling the air.
The ranch house was the largest home Caitlin had ever seen, with eight bedrooms and several offices, dens, parlors, and a large formal living room.
But even with that much space, which they’d done a good job of divvying up the first month of living there, having so many people right on top of one another got old very quickly.
That’s when construction on the first cabin began.
David, in his previous life, had been an architect, and he’d been eager to use his skills to benefit the group. The cabin design was small, and mostly for function, but he created something beautiful with what they all had. Lumber and roofing materials had to be scavenged, but when they found an abandoned housing development near the edge of town, they’d hit the jackpot.
Three cabins went up quickly, all as close to the main house as possible while still being safe. The fourth, currently halfway finished, was a little further out towards the first row of pecan trees and the greenhouse Bob had built out of tubing and heavy-duty plastic sheeting.
Leaning her elbows on the porch railing, Caitlin took in the beauty of the land around her.
“Morning,” Max called from the yard below.
He waved and pointed for Matilda to see who was there. Her bright smile was accentuated by her front teeth coming in.
“Morning,” Caitlin called, waving back.
Watching as Max taught Matilda to play fetch with Fancy, she soaked in every ray of light, every soft breeze.
A full year of them and she still couldn’t take them for granted.
Caitlin was certain she’d never take anything for granted ever again.
Light foot falls pounded around the other side of the house and up the stairs to the porch.
“And where are you off to?” Caitlin asked as soon as Desi reached the door.
Sneakers squeaking as she came to a stop, Desi jerked her thumb over her shoulder.
“Booker wants me to help him build a second chicken coop,” she said, slightly out of breath. “But I forgot my gloves.”
“Okay, but don’t forget to do your homework for Nicole afterwards,” she said over the lip of her mug.
“I promise,” Desi said, curls bouncing around her face as she nodded and took off inside.
Caitlin smiled, watching the closest thing she’d have to a daughter of her own bolting for the bedroom she shared with a few of the older girls.
Chicken coop.
Huh…
Caitlin arched an eyebrow and trailed down the porch steps, following the well-worn path around the right side of the house to the back where they kept the dozen or so hens and one rooster Booker insisted on naming Foghorn.
Whistling, high like a bird, she waited for him to turn around.
“Mornin’ darlin,” he called, grinning broadly.
“This is the third morning in a row you’ve let me sleep in,” she said, weaving around a few of the birds as they ate. “Is it my birthday or something?”
Booker dragged the back of his hand across his forehead, wiping the few beads of sweat off. It couldn’t have been later than ten, but it was already hot that cloudless morning.
“Consider it an early anniversary gift,” he said, watching the sway of her hips as she approached.
When she was close, he stood up, and crossed the short distance to pull her into a leisurely kiss that left her tingling all the way down to her toes.
“Thought about wakin’ ya up my way,” he drawled in her ear. “But after last night I figured I’d better let ya rest up.”
Caitlin flushed from her sternum to the apples of her cheeks.
“And here I was hoping for an encore tonight,” she murmured, hooking her fingers into his belt loop, holding him close.
“Oh, well in that case…” Booker grinned and ducked down, kissing her again.
One of the chickens clucked noisily, flapping its wings and startling them out of their moment.
“Go on, get,” Booker shooed the hen off. “Must be layin’ day…”
Caitlin could only laugh.
“Are you trying to get Desi to neglect her homework again?” She asked, playfully narrowing her stare at him.
Booker shifted his gaze. “’Course not,” he said, sly grin curving his
lips. “Not that she needs homework. That child’s smarter than all of us put together.”
Watching him, Caitlin smirked. “Admit it, you hate when your partner in crime is stuck inside all day.”
Chuckling, he cocked his head to the side. “Just like havin’ her around, is all.”
On cue, Desi ran back around the side of the house, gloves in one hand and calculus textbook in the other.
“I brought my homework for when Booker won’t let me use the saw,” she announced, setting the book down on the edge of the flower bed. “Two birds, one stone.”
Desi glanced at the fluffy brown and white chickens pecking at the ground a few feet away.
“Sorry,” she told them, wincing a little.
Laughing and calling her over, Booker got her started with a few smaller pieces and a hammer.
Caitlin’s to-do list was echoing in the back of her mind. They needed to start canning a few of the vegetables they’d harvested so they’d have extra for the dormant season. Then she needed to review their supply inventory with Nicole and plan another trip to town. And if there was enough daylight, she wanted to get a jump on picking pecans with Max, Bob, and Luna.
Finding the brick wall of the flowerbed, she lowered herself down, perching on the edge with her mug cupped in her hands.
There’d be time to do all of it, and more.
But in that moment, all she wanted was to watch the love of her life and the little girl she adored crack jokes and build a chicken coop.
* * * * * * *
“Here, try this,” Nicole said around a mouthful of something, shoving the rest in Caitlin’s face.
“What—” She didn’t have time finish the question before a piece of warm bread was being shoved into her mouth. “Mhmmm. Wow,” she mumbled, still chewing.
“Bob made it,” Nathaniel said, brushing crumbs off his fingers.
Caitlin made a surprised noise at the back of her throat. “Now that is a multifaceted man right there.”
As often as possible, dinner was held at the main house, with every available chair and surface taken up by people and plates piled high with fresh food.
Often, if she wasn’t deeply involved in a conversation inside, Caitlin would take her food and sit out on the porch to enjoy the slowly setting sun cast the farm in a golden light.
Just as she handed Booker his fork and was about to head for her favorite chair outside, Desi came galloping into the kitchen.
“It worked, it worked!” She cried in delight. “My project worked!”
Booker frowned. “Your what?”
“My special project!” She ran over, grabbing him by the arm. “It worked, come see!”
“Whoa, alright, hold on Des, don’t make me spill…”
Following them down the hall to the girls’ room, Caitlin furrowed her brow at Scott who was beaming proudly, standing in the doorway.
“Special project?” She asked him.
Scott winked. “I’ll let Desi show you.”
“Look,” she exclaimed, pointing to a contraption set up in her windowsill.
At first, Caitlin didn’t understand. A flat board with squares of something dark—shiny like metal or glass, but not reflective enough to be a mirror—was propped up, and delicate looking wires tucked all around, leading to…
A light bulb.
A single, glowing light bulb.
“See?” Desi called over her shoulder, rushing to her invention. “I made a solar panel! Dad, look!”
Booker had stopped seeming so bewildered by the name a long time ago, but every time Desi called him ‘dad’ Caitlin’s heart swelled.
Squatting down to examine the bulb and panel it was attached to, Booker whistled low between his teeth.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he breathed. “You sure did.”
Twisting to look up at her, he smiled.
“How’d you know how to do that?”
Full of excited energy, Desi bounced on the balls of her feet. “I read about it in the books Scott found for me,” she said. “And he helped me with a few of the wires.”
Leaning against the doorframe, Scott shrugged. “Really I just screwed a few pieces in that were a little hard for her to reach. Desi figured out the rest. Even found the panel material in some of the construction stuff Nate brought back.”
“I bet there’s more at that development,” Desi announced. “If I can get more, I can make bigger panels to put on top of the house, and then—”
“We’d have electricity,” Caitlin finished for her, smiling proudly.
The rest of the evening was spent parading people through Desi’s room to look at her DIY solar panel, telling everyone that their little genius could get them up and running with actual electricity.
Functioning lights. Possibilities for refrigeration.
No more fuel runs for generators or working by candlelight.
Booker of course, promptly teased Desi that she’d need a tiny lampshade for her bulb, and she dissolved into a fit of giggles.
* * * * * * *
Holding the porch rail flush with the support piece, Booker twisted the screwdriver in his hand.
“A’ight, read it to me again,” he said.
Desi ran her finger over the page. “Given two sets A and B, a set with elements that are ordered pairs (x,y), where x is an element of A and y is an element of B, is a relation from A to B. A relation from A to B defines a relationship between those two sets.”
Booker grunted softly. “So, when do the two trains catch up to each other?”
“That’s physics,” she sighed, rolling her eyes for dramatic effect.
“Oh, then what’s that?” He asked, pointing to the book with the tip of his screwdriver.
“Calculus,” she said, showing him the cover. “Functions, specifically.”
“Ah, I see,” he said, nodding. “And what specifically are you havin’ trouble with?”
“I keep mixing up the formulas when Scott quizzes me.”
Testing his repair job, Booker tilted his head to get a better look.
“Well, keep tellin’ ‘em to me ‘til it gets easier,” he said.
Desi frowned. “You’re not bored?”
“You bored of talkin’ about math?”
She glanced down at the heavy textbook in her lap. “No.”
“Then I ain’t bored of listenin’,” he said, picking up another rail to replace. “Go on. Teach me somethin’ new.”
With a slight smile, Desi continued reading from the pages, stopping occasionally to reword something so they could both comprehend it. Booker mostly hummed or grunted in response, but every so often he knew the answer to a problem or had a real-world application to offer her, telling a quick anecdote of his time in the service and needing to be precise with calculations.
Caitlin simply watched and listened while she stitched patches into the knees of Desi’s favorite overalls.
She’d gotten better at sewing but her line stitch still needed work.
Glancing up, towards the edge of the property, she swore she saw movement.
Geeks still wandered by, but the desert heat and arid conditions made them stiff and brittle, slow to react and laughably easy to kill, especially with reinforced fencing keeping them at bay.
But this wasn’t a Geek, or even a small herd of them.
“Booker, do you see that?” She asked, jerking her chin towards the shifting silhouettes gathering at the front gate.
Turning, Booker lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the sun.
“That a car?” He asked.
“And people,” she said, setting her sewing down. “Desi, go inside and tell Nicole.”
“Okay,” Desi said, knowing this wasn’t something to drag her feet on.
“Rifle’s inside,” Booker admitted.
“I’ve got the revolver,” she said, the constant weight of the gun at her low back a comfort now.
“Jeep?”
“It’ll get us there quicker,” she
said, standing up.
Brushing dust and paint chips from his hands, Booker said, “I swear, if it’s more Scavengers…”
“The last ones just needed water and then they left,” she said.
“Still, they always try to fight first,” he said as they strode to the Jeep parked down where the dirt road began. “None of ‘em ask nicely.”
Caitlin smirked. “Offends your southern sensibilities, huh?”
“Offends my right to keep what’s mine.”
Climbing into the Jeep, Booker grabbed the keys off the dash and turned the ignition.
“Goddamn, Cae, how far d’you move the seat,” he muttered, legs jammed into the steering wheel.
“Not that far.”
Bending down, he struggled with the bar to adjust it back and cursed under his breath.
“Damn near capped my knees.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“And either you’ve shrunk or y’can’t measure worth a damn.”
Caitlin scoffed. “Says the man who messed up the height of a chicken coop and now the only birds that would fit inside are pigmies.”
Shifting into drive, he rested his wrist on the wheel, using it to steer.
“Told ya, Desi—”
“Don’t even try to blame her,” Caitlin cut in with a laugh. “I was watching you the whole time.”
“Ever think maybe that’s why I was distracted?” He asked, cocking his head at her. “Struttin’ around in those shorts…”
“You’re attributing my shapely figure to your inability to count?”
Booker grinned wolfishly. “Maybe. But only ‘cause I was appreciatin’ the view.”
With the wind blowing through the cab, Caitlin tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and smiled.
“Play your cards right and you’ll get that view again tonight.”
Humming in lustful agreement, Booker faced forward, steering them down the long dirt road towards the main gate.
After a moment, Caitlin shifted, squinting through the windshield.
“Jack, look…” She said, pointing. “Is that…”
“I’ll be damned,” Booker murmured.
Breaking about ten yards away, they rushed to climb out.
Caitlin blinked, waving away the cloud of dust they’d kicked up.
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