“And you’re cold…get away.” I half pushed him away, but he only snuggled in deeper. “Seriously, go get some hot chocolate or something, before you bring down my body temperature.”
Jack looked up into my eyes and leaned in for a kiss that I didn’t have the desire to deny him. “I think I’ll have some hot chocolate.” He pulled me in closer pushing his tongue into my mouth. A giggle slowly escaped my lips, quickly turning into a moan. It had been months since we’d been relaxed enough for such affection. Not to mention, we always had an audience. There wasn’t much opportunity for intimacy on the road.
I was just about to suggest we move into the warmth of the freshly built fire when something past Jack’s shoulder caught my eye. “What is it?” Jack asked, turning to face what had caught my attention.
“I’ll go get the binoculars,” I offered.
There was no need. Apparently, Charlie had been eavesdropping on us…absolutely no privacy…and he’d rushed off to get them excitedly. He handed them over to Jack. “What is it?” he asked, hopping up and down.
Jack looked down from his binoculars and I could see the beginning of tears in his eyes. “Charlie could you please go tell Billy, that Seth’s on his way.
Chapter Thirty-EIGHT
It felt like an eternity, from the moment we spotted Seth’s boat, until the moment he finally docked it. Seth hadn’t come alone, but Jack and Billy hadn’t really taken much stalk of the others in the craft. They’d practically knocked poor Seth over, before he’d even managed to find his footing on the dock.
“I take it you missed me,” Seth said in a chipper British accent.
“Maybe a little,” Billy said pulling away to look at Seth. “You’re still too skinny.”
Seth laughed. “Well, it’s not because of the apocalypse anymore. You guys are going to be amazed when you see out little Island. I still cannot believe you’re actually here.”
“How’d you know we were here?” Charlie asked from behind April.
“I guess introductions are in order,” Jack said enthusiastically as he quickly introduced the four of us to his brother. In tern Seth introduced his two friends from the boat, a man named Kyle and a woman named Nina.
“To answer your question Charlie, we have infrared motion detector cameras on the cabin. They’re hooked up to a little solar panel,” he said pointing to the roof. “It’s not enough to power the whole cabin, just the cameras, but it comes in handy. Come and gather your things, the rest of our group is excited to meet you.”
Within ten minutes, the fire was out, and we were all gathered in the boat. None of us wanted to waste any time. Jack and Billy took over paddling the boat to give Seth’s friends a break. It was going to take another hour to reach their Island.
“You can’t be too careful these days,” Seth had commented when Kaia had seemed unenthused about the length of the journey. “You never know who you’re going to run into. We don’t take chances in our group.”
If Seth hadn’t known Jack and Billy, there’s no way our group would have been allowed to their Island right away, and we would have been blindfolded. A fact that Seth’s friend Nina had been quick to point out. She didn’t look like she was as willing to just accept that we were good people on Seth’s word, but she made no move to protest our unblindfolded state.
The entire boat ride was filled with the brothers catching up on what had happened over the last seven years of separation. Seth had excitedly told April and Billy that his wife Paige was due with their first child around the same time as April.
“Everyone’s going to be excited to have a doctor in our group again,” Seth declared somberly. “Things haven’t been the same since we lost Doc.” He looked towards Nina who had suddenly become interested in the soft movement of the lake’s waves.
“I was hoping you’d have a real doctor,” April declared and then quickly patted Billy on the shoulder. “No offense Billy, but you didn’t exactly get to finish with a quality education.”
Billy pretended to be offended but we all knew he wasn’t. He accepted his training for what it was. And it was good enough to save my leg, though I decided not to point that out to April at the moment. I could tell her pregnancy anxiety had only grown worse over the past month.
“We may not have a regular doctor, but we do have a midwife,” Seth supplied.
That got April excited. Maybe she’d never been one for natural birth but an expert in the field was better than what we had. Billy’s knowledge was more generalized and even he wasn’t comfortable with the way April’s pregnancy was progressing.
“We’ll introduce you to her when we get to the village and I’m sure once you’re settled, she can examine you and put your mind at ease,” Seth reassured.
By the time the Island came into view, the brothers had pretty much caught each other up on the Cliff’s Note version of what had happened since they’d been a part.
Our group stared at the Island in wonder. It was too big to see all of it, and there was a significant wooded area in the back that Seth said was still untamed. They wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.
The main focal part of the Island was the sprawling mansion. I grew up in what I would have called a mansion, but this was at least double the size. Seth said the home had ten bedrooms, five bathrooms, a massive kitchen and dining area, as well as large living room and rec room.
Most of the people in the village lived in the mansion but they’d begun expanding and building small cottages for those couples or families who wanted to have their own space. He and Paige had just moved into their cottage a week before. Seth was excited that they’d finally have another carpenter in the group to help with building the cabins. Jack was excited to be able to help build our own cabin.
Our cabin in our village had been nice, but it had been original to the site and Jack had always wanted to design something specifically for us. I could see the wheels turning in his mind as he came up with different design elements to include.
Seth had made sure not to overwhelm us with the entire community when we got there, though he said everyone was very eager to meet us. We were looking forward to meeting the others too, but he was right to make them wait. Despite the wonderful sleep I had last night, I was exhausted from everything we’d endured over the past several months. One look at the rest of my group and I could tell they were all feeling the same.
When we docked the boat, there was only one person waiting on the shoreline. She was a beautiful woman with a long braid of auburn hair, that went almost to her waist. She also had this perfectly round basketball shape of a belly. Even if Seth hadn’t told us his wife was pregnant, I would have known this was Paige by the way her eyes lit up when she looked at Seth. It was the same look I’m sure I wore when I looked at Jack.
After helping us all out of the boat, Seth excitedly introduced Paige to all of us. “I’m sure you are all looking forward to relaxing. We have two rooms prepared for you guys. I’m sorry it’s not more,” Paige added.
“That’s okay. We’ve been sleeping in one room for months, so I’m sure we’ll be just fine,” I replied. “Just having an actual bed to sleep on will be wonderful…Seth said you had beds.”
Paige laughed. “Oh, yes, we have beds. Trust me…this back isn’t living without that luxury ever again,” she stroked her lower back. “The one room has a king size bed and other has a queen size and a set of bunkbeds. You guys can argue over who gets what when we get there.”
As much as I wanted to have a room all to myself with Jack, I knew that April needed it more, so I was prepared to make the sacrifice, but April spoke up first saying that she and Billy would be happy to share with the kids until the baby arrived. She looked at me and gave me a not-so-subtle wink. I felt Jack’s hand gently slide down my back to cup right butt cheek. He quickly moved his hand before anyone else noticed. I guess he wasn’t as willing to make the same sacrifice. April still had a couple of months before her baby was born…we could c
ertainly make use of the privacy.
Nina and Kyle offered to carry our things in for us, while we received a mini tour of the Island. Just outside of the mansion was a large, covered dining area that they used in the warmer seasons to eat together. Seth said when it was cold or rainy, they usually just gathered in the main living area and the younger people sat on cushions on the floor while the others were given the furniture to relax in.
In the distance Paige pointed out the greenhouse which produced most of their food stores throughout the year. They also had plenty of fish from the lake and during the summer they hunted and smoked whatever meat they could to put into storage.
Just past the greenhouse and edging on the forest was a smaller cabin which was original to the property and then the cabin that Seth had been working on for Paige as well as another fully constructed cabin that housed the midwife’s family. Her husband was the other carpenter on the Island and Seth said he was sure the man would be eager to meet Jack as soon as possible.
I watched as Jack took in the sites and I could see he was already planning where to place our cabin. While things were still feeling brand new, I felt more at peace here than I ever had in the village. The way things ran here was just as communal as our old village but without the same strict hierarchy. They had a counsel like our other group, but there was no one who was in charge. It consisted of five members so that there would never need to be some grand leader to break a tie, though Seth said they all pretty much agreed on most issues anyways.
Paige said as their group grew, they had plans to have an election process for the counsel but seeing as there were so few of them right now, and even fewer who wanted to make those decisions, the process really wasn’t necessary yet.
We were offered the opportunity to explore the woods, but we all declined the offer. Just that mini tour had burned us out. I could tell that Kaia and Charlie were eager to see the room they’d be calling theirs and I was really looking forward to sitting in front of the grand fireplace Paige had mentioned.
Paige excused herself to go inform the midwife of our arrival and update her on her new patient as Seth led us back towards the mansion. When we walked through the grand doorway, we were immediately bombarded with the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. It was so surreal. I hadn’t smelt fresh baked anything in months, but beyond that was the memory this particular smell elicited.
I looked towards April, and I saw a small tear roll down her cheek and I knew she was thinking of our mother as well. Even though I knew it was a figment of my imagination, I swore the smell was that of my mother’s secret family chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Jack noticed my hesitation and placed his hand in mine. He probably thought I was just feeling overwhelmed by the normalcy of everything. Seth led us towards the kitchen where we heard children excitedly asking to help place the cookies on the sheet.
“Hold your horses, Matthew. You’ll get a turn next.” I froze in my tracks and looked at April. There was no way. There was no way that what I heard was right. That voice…it had been seven years. It had to be my imagination playing tricks on me. When April looked at me, she wore the same shocked expression.
“Seth?” I asked cautiously. “Whose baking in the kitchen?” I tried to hide the quiver in my voice and make the question sound nonchalant, but I don’t think I did the greatest job of that.
“Oh, that’s Jane. She’s the resident mom of the group. You’re going to love her.”
My hand dropped out of Jack’s as I shakily walked around the corner. April was by my side in an instant. In the kitchen, busily helping three children roll out dough and place it on cookie sheets, was our mother. She was just standing there. In this huge kitchen…baking. She was here. She was alive. She looked older, more worn out. She had more grey hairs and more lines around her eyes. She also looked a little thinner, but so did most people these days. My mother was here…with Jack’s brother.
Following the note had led us not only to Seth…but also to our mother. Tears streamed down my face as I felt my husband wrap his arm around my waist. “Are you okay Summer?” At my name, my mother looked up from her baking. She looked at me and then at April, and then she dropped the tray of cookies she’d been about to put in the oven.
One moment my mother was standing behind the kitchen island and the next she was wrapping her arms around April and me. I could hear soft sobs and I realized it was coming from all three of us. “How?” she whispered after several minutes. “I never thought I’d see you again?”
She looked at April and then down at her large belly and she choked out another sob as she pulled April into another large bear hug. “I kept my promise mom,” April finally managed to say.
My mother pulled away and looked at April with a questioning look on her face. “I kept Summer safe.”
“I can see that,” she replied wiping the tears from April’s eyes. “And I can see I have another grandbaby coming soon…where is Andy?” April shook her head.
“He died more than a year ago,” I answered for April. My mother looked confused and that was when Billy stepped forward and introduced himself.
“This is my husband,” April laughed to herself.
My mom looked confused again. “Oh, that’s a funny story,” I laughed…” but a long one. But I guess then we have a lot of time to tell all the stories.”
My mom wrapped me in her arms again. “You’re squishing me,” I giggled.
“Tough. I’m going to squish you over and over again.” She pulled away from me to check my belly. “Please tell me that you don’t also have a bun in the oven. I’m not sure my ticker could take any more today.”
“No baby in here, but I would like you to meet my husband.” Jack stepped forward and introduced himself and that was when our mom put the pieces together of who Jack and Billy where in relation to Seth.
“Normally, I’d say I wish you would have waited until you were older to get married,” she said as she stroked my hair the way she used to when I was little. “But I know that times are different now and I feel like I already know who Jack and Billy are because of Seth.” She smiled looking at both our husbands. “And because of that, I know that you will both treat my girls right.” They both quickly affirmed that they would.
My mother wiped her tears. “This calls for a celebration, wouldn’t you say Seth?” Seth nodded in agreement. “Good, because I’ve been dying to dip into the stock of red you boys found last month…and maybe a sparkling cider here for April.”
Our mother handed off the baking to one of the teenage girls, who introduced herself as Ginger. She looked to only be a year or two older than Kaia. She offered to have Kaia and Charlie come with her to help. I could tell that they both needed that. Our family reunion was only a reminder for the two of them that they had no such happy reunion coming in their future.
Jack helped me find a seat in front of the roaring fireplace. I was still in a state of shock, but I think we all were. I’d given up on finding any family and decided that finding Jack’s brother had to be good enough. All this time his brother and our mother had been together. In fact, they’d been together almost the entire time.
We’d been sitting and talking for awhile when April finally spoke again. I knew she was going to ask the question that we both wanted to ask. I was just too worried to know the answer. “Is there anyone else?” she said through quivering lips.
We saw the tears pool in our mother’s eyes and knew the answer before she said it. “Your father died trying to save us all. He fought back so hard that they tore a main artery. I think he was grateful not to turn. I was separated from everyone else when it happened…except for your father. He managed to push me into a small section on the bleachers in the gym. With his body blocking the way and the other equipment in the way, I was kept safe. That’s how I met Matthew,” she said smiling as a young boy who looked like he’d be the same age as my nephew, walked up to sit on our mother’s lap. “His mom was trying to squ
eeze into the space with me, but there wasn’t enough room for her to get through. there was enough room for her toddler. She looked at me with a look that only another mother could understand, and I took him in with me.”
“Do you know if everyone else turned?” I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
“I know that Noah’s fiancé didn’t make. She must have been sick because I found her dying in the morning. I don’t know what happened to Noah, but I know he never would have left her defenseless. As for the rest, I can only guess they turned. I saw no other sign of them. Honestly, I’m not sure if I would have had the strength to go on if it weren’t for Matthew. He gave me purpose. He needed me, and at that moment, that was what I needed.
“I hoped you girls were safe, but I had no real way to know. I just kept hoping that some day I’d receive even a sign that you were both alive. Even if I couldn’t be with you again,” she sighed. “I had a dream…maybe a year after everything happened. And it’s going to sound stupid, but it felt so real that I believed for the longest time that I was actually visited by your father’s spirit.” At the mention of our dad, both April and I sat up a little straighter. “In the dream he told me that I wouldn’t feel so alone forever. That there was still hope…and later in the dream I saw the two of you, and I just had this overwhelming feeling that the two of you were safe.”
A silent tear rolled down my cheek. “You should tell her,” April smiled through her tears.
“Tell me what?”
With Jack’s gentle rubbing of my back, I was able to recount my near-death experience to my mother. Tears rolled silently down my mother’s cheeks as I told her what my dad had said. At the end, my mom said that she was glad I chose to stay. So was I.
I never could have imagined a year ago that I could possibly be happy with my choice. I chose to stay for April, because I didn’t want to be selfish. Even though my dad had said there was hope, and that we weren’t alone, I didn’t entirely believe him.
Seeking Hope: Book 2 in the Seeking Saga Page 36