“She’s excited to have you home.” I smile, thinking about our daughter. “She has us take her outside each day to check for flowers. I’m sure Sarah or Jen’s continued the routine.”
“We’re almost there, just over the hill. I think the gas will hold out. We calculated that good,” Luke announces over his shoulder as we climb the last hill that separates us from the rest of our family.
We’re close enough to see two people jumping up and down. One of them runs inside, but then returns a moment later. My heart kicks into high speed, thinking something is wrong, until their emotions of excitement waft over me. Soon their hoots and hollers are heard over the noise of the quad. Lillie attempts to sit up and peek her head over the railing of the trailer.
“You, sit down,” I instruct.
She laughs. “I know. Sorry. I’m so freaking excited!” She claps her hands and bounces on her rear again.
James laughs and pats her leg as he sits next to her. “I’ll sit with you.” He wraps his arm around her shoulder.
Moments later, Luke pulls the four-wheeler up to our family.
“Welcome back!” Michael shouts.
At this point, Lil is too low in the trailer for them to see her, but that doesn’t stop them from asking. “Did you find her?” Jen is running toward us, shouting her question.
Instead of answering, I reach down and pull her to her feet. She’s like the sun rising, her essence lightings up our entire hillside. There’s a moment of complete silence as she smiles down at our family. She’s ecstatic to see everyone, but she’s searching for Azami. The group erupts. Hands reach out, lifting her from the trailer and they pass her around, crying and hugging her. Finally, she comes out on the other side, just as Azami bursts from the cave, Sarah hot on her heels.
Their blonde hair catches in the breeze, almost complete replicas of one another. Lillie swoops Azami up in the air, laughing as she pulls her close. Azami turns into a spider monkey and wraps her arms and legs tightly around Lillie’s body. They’re both crying and whispering to one another.
I catch Michael looking around, before he locks eyes with me. “Where’s Mason and Jere?” Worry is thick in his voice.
“The infected got Jere, and one of them bit Mason. He can’t come back right now.” Confusion and sadness covers the faces in the group. Tears fill their eyes again for a completely different reason.
“What does that mean for him?” Michael steps closer.
“Easy. Lillie was bitten too. She’s explained some insane shit to us. Let me get them settled and I’ll come find you.”
Michael grabs my arm and squeezes. “He’s all right though?”
“He’s fine right now. Give me a few hours, I promise I’ll explain. It’s not a short conversation, and I need to focus on my girls right now.” If I started telling him about the infected and their evolution, I’d spend the rest of the night out here.
“Go, take care of them. We’ll clean this up.” Michael slaps my shoulder, trusting me to come through with the information.
“Thanks, brother.” I pull him into a hug and slap his back, thanking him for more than the cleanup, and for also trusting me.
“Always.” His voice is gruff.
“He’s coming home. We’ll make sure of it,” I promise. If he’s not back soon, we’ll send another group for him.
Azami’s small voice draws my attention. She’s studying Lillie’s stomach, with dozens of questions on her face. “What is that?” She pokes her belly. “Did you eat something icky?”
Lil squats down to our daughter’s level. “We’re going to have a new baby in the family.”
“Like baby Gage?” Azami asks, a smile on her lips.
“Yup,” I confirm, mussing her hair.
“Yay!” She claps her hands.
Scooping Az up into my arms, I prop her on my hip and wrap my arm around Lillie’s round waist. I’ve got my girls in my arms and nothing could tear me away. “You ready for that warm bath?”
Lillie groans with desire at the mention of the warm water. She spoke about it several times on the trip home. I chuckle, pulling her closer again, my heart pounding against my chest. I’m never letting them out of my sight.
~~~~~
After the group welcomed her home, they left us alone the rest of the night, letting us get reacquainted. We soaked in the warm water and I treated my girls to a spa day. They brush their teeth, wash their hair, and I rub their hands and feet. Evidence of Lillie’s ordeal covers her battered and bruised body. Her ankle is raw, scabbed over in some areas, confirming the chain she was forced to wear. Her ribs and legs are discolored with old and new injuries. We opt not to delve into details while Azami’s with us, but seeing the grievances is heart-wrenching.
James joins us once we reach the room, opting to spend the night. We focus on our newest member that’s about to join our family. Azami is entranced with the thought of having a sibling.
One by one they fall asleep, sounding off with their snores. Lillie’s skin is clean, shining in the flickering flames from the small fire. I promised Michael I’d stop down and speak to him tonight, but I can’t yet pull myself away from her. A lump starts to build in my throat, overwhelmed with emotion. I kiss her forehead before slipping out of the room in search of Michael.
Michael sits waiting for me in the main cavern. The fire’s high, telling me he’s waited all night. Quinn, Deagon, and Luke surround him.
“Hey. Sorry to keep you waiting.” I squeeze Michael’s arm as I sit next to him. “You fill them in?” I nod toward Luke.
“Yeah,” he replies.
“Is it true?” Michael asks. “Are they really that smart? I can’t believe Mason went to look for it.” Michael’s annoyed.
“He’s not alone. Asher’s with him,” I reassure him.
“Who?” Deagon stands suddenly. Next to him, Quinn’s eyes are large.
Hope, heartache, and shock drift from them both. “Asher is the guy that helped Lil escape. They were holding him captive too,” I answer their unspoken question.
They look at each other. “Do you think?” Quinn asks Deagon. What the hell is going on?
“If it is, they’ve had him for over a year,” Deagon states.
“What are you talking about?” I’m confused. Do they know Asher?
“What does he look like?” Deagon asks.
“It was hard to tell, they were so dirty. He may be darker skinned. Black hair, dark eyes. Do you know him?”
“Maybe…it sounds like him,” Deagon says, hope creeping into his voice. “How many Asher’s are there left in the world? We’re not that far from where it all went down.”
“What’s going on?” Michael raises his voice.
Deagon turns back to us. “Naveen’s husband. His name is Asher.”
No one speaks for a moment, soaking in the new information. “What’re we going to do now?” Luke chimes in.
“We go after them,” Quinn states.
“Wait a second.” I put my hands up. “They’re the ones hunting the infected. There’s no rescue mission.”
“Not that we know of,” Michael says.
His comment has my heart thumping. What if they do need help? “How many of you want to go?” They all raise their hands. “Then we’ll get a group together. Michael, you’ve got to stay behind to help Lil. She’s due any day.”
His protest dies on his tongue when I mention Lil. He forgot about her new condition, so he nods. “Fine. I’ll stay, but they can go.” He tilts his head toward Luke, Deagon, and Quinn.
“Quinn, you healthy enough to do this?” I ask.
“Absolutely. I’m back to regular duties in the cave. I can keep up,” he assures.
“What about Naveen? Are you going to tell her?” I question Deagon and Quinn.
Deagon pauses a moment. “I don’t think so. What if it’s not him? I don’t want to get her hopes up. If we find him, we can bring him home. He’s already been gone over a year, what are a few more weeks?�
�
“Sounds good.” I agree with their decision. Naveen’s been through enough over the last couple of years. She doesn’t need false hope.
We collaborate and come up with a plan. Quinn and Deagon decide to head out together. We give them the map and retrace our trip. They’ll return to our previous camp and follow their trail from there. There’s hardly any gas in the quad, so they’ll make a preliminary journey on foot to collect more gas.
Michael wants more than anything to help find his brother, but understands we’ll have a baby to deliver soon. Luke attempts to go as well, but we talk him into staying home to rest. He’s wearing himself too thin. I trust Mason knows what he’s doing and can take care of himself, but I also care enough to send help, even if he doesn’t require it.
Mason’s a part of our family and we’re going to do everything we can to get him back.
Epilogue
Two Months Later
Lillie
A soft cry wakes me from a light sleep. I reach out and pat my Sweet Pea’s rear, soothing him back to sleep. Hunter normally sleeps decently, but last night, not so much.
A heavy arm lays across my waist. “He’s woken up five times now. You get some sleep. Me and the kids will go down and get breakfast.” I attempt to protest. I don’t like either of the kids out of my sight, but he stops me with a swat on the butt. “No protesting.” He scoops Hunter up in his arms. “Hey, buddy. You keep Mommy up all night?”
Hunter replies with a happy coo. “Traitor,” I mumble, already half asleep.
Azami and Ian chuckle at my retort. “Catch some Z’s, Mommy, then come down and have breakfast.”
Ian mumbles to Azami as he gets both the kids ready for their day. Thanks to the house on Palomino Drive, we have clean clothes, cloth diapers, and toys for both kids. Azami bumps my foot, trying to sit as close as possible to Ian while he changes Hunter.
She pats my foot. “Sorry, Mommy,” she mock whispers.
A smile stretches my lips when Ian replies, “Az, Mommy is supposed to sleep in, try not to wake her.”
“I know, Daddy,” she breathes out heavily, annoyed.
Hunter starts to cry again. Ian’s holding him to his chest and grabs his bottle. “Sorry, babe. We’re out of here now.” He snags Azami’s hand and tugs her out the door.
At this point, there’s no way I’m going back to sleep. I roll to my back and stare at the sun shining through the cracks in the ceiling, stretching my muscles awake. The days have rushed by in a blur. A few days after I returned home, Quinn and Deagon set out to help Mason. They asked me to keep Asher a secret until they confirmed his identity. My intuition is telling me he’s who they’re looking for. He spoke about his family, and the timeline fit. Gage is the same age as his boy. Too many coincidences lead to one conclusion. I couldn’t wait for him to come back and find his family with mine.
We held a nice ceremony for Jere and Wendy, but also mentioned Jeff and Becky. All three were a part of our family at one point. We honored all those we’d lost over the last couple of years, hoping that the future would be kinder than the past. I never had a chance to mourn before the infected drug me away. After everything that’s happened over the last year, my resolve has strengthened. I shed tears for those I loved but didn’t know long and am ready to start a new chapter in my life.
Hunter decided to enter this world about a month after I returned. This time around, I wasn’t alone. Ian never left my side, supporting me, allowing me to crush his hand. There were points during the delivery that I thought he might pass out, but he stayed conscious during the entire event and got to watch the birth of his son. Michael and Jen acted as my doctor and nurse, coaching me through my breathing. I thanked the heavens that I wasn’t alone again.
Now I’m living in bliss. My children are going to grow up in one of the safest places since the Flash. They’ll have an entire family to support and protect them, which is better than my childhood. Many aunts and uncles that’ll show them how to survive this new world.
With a deep groan, I get up and dress for the day. Summer is in full swing, the weather perfect for berry picking. I snap my baby carrier on over my tank top and grab a hat for Hunter so he doesn’t burn.
Excitement floods me the closer I get to the kitchen. Laughter stops me at the entryway, watching my family interact. Azami’s helping Sarah bake bread, little handprints cover her clothing, drawing a smile to my lips. Ian’s sitting on one of the benches, Hunter laid out in his arms as Jen and Sophie lean over his shoulders, cooing. Time slows, reminding me that this is a moment I’m going to remember.
Ian lifts his head and looks directly at me from across the room. A slow, hungry smile curves his lips as his eyes travel the length of me with appreciation, and possession. My heart beats wildly and my breathing increases. His smile stretches, pleased with my reaction.
Ian cradles Hunter in one hand, his little head fitting perfectly in his palm. “Come here,” he mouths, gesturing for me with his free hand.
I savor my surroundings and commit them to memory. Azami and Sarah’s high-pitched giggles off to my right as they throw tiny dough balls at one another. The loud baritone laughter from Luke and Michael sitting at the table, cracking jokes. Jen and Sophie hovering over Ian’s shoulders, oohing and aahing at Hunter, hoping to get his attention. And Ian, staring directly at me, his eyes locked on mine, never wavering. My solid rock. There are times that I startle awake at night, believing I’m still with the infected, until Ian reaches over and drags my body against his, protecting me even in my dreams.
This is it, what it’s really about, even after the Flash.
Family.
THE END
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EVOLVED Page 24