"Danny and I will take care of dinner Dad," Kenny said.
"Oh? What do you have in mind?"
"The fishing poles went up in flames, but we still have crab pots in the bay."
Jack raised an eyebrow and looked at Amy. She nodded in affirmation of Kenny's claim.
His family had changed so much since he'd been gone that he hardly recognized them anymore.
The change in Kenny was the easiest to see. With the house burning down around his ears, he got his younger brother to safety, and then went back inside the house to retrieve the guns and ammo. It was foolhardy, yes, but Kenny also knew that the weapons would be key to his family's survival. It was hard to believe he was the same irresponsible kid he'd left behind. Kenny's demeanor filled him with pride.
If what Amy said was true, Danny had also shown a lot of bravery, if not wisdom, in his rebellious excursions to find him. This disaster was a lot for an eleven year old to deal with emotionally and mentally. He would have to make sure to spend extra time with Danny now that he was back. Maybe a quiet countryside farm was just the thing Danny needed after all the excitement.
Amy. Her face was flawless with her dark hair flitting in the breeze. Was she always this beautiful? Was this the wife he'd left behind? Clearly not. She just shot two men in front of him. Not in his wildest imagination had he envisioned coming home to find her armed and dangerous. What had she been through to make that drastic change?
Whatever it was, there was steel in her eyes, and he liked it. She wasn't all steel though, she was softer than before, more flexible. The debate about moving to Wyatt's farm went a lot differently than he'd imagined it would go. It was entirely unlike her to trust him so readily, without hearing every detail first and making her own mind before committing to a decision. He loved and respected her more than anyone in the world, and it made him feel incredible to have earned her trust.
Had he changed? He felt different. What he'd done didn't required much change on his part, aside from eating dog food and pedaling one hell of a long way to get home. Unless thirty pounds of fat loss counted as change.
Thinking about it though, he wasn't the same Jack Miller as the man who left home on a business trip three months ago. He was embarrassed to think of how big his ego had been, and the things he thought were important. He was shallow and vain. The old Jack would have turned his nose up at Wyatt Ferguson, because people like Wyatt weren't from his world. Wyatt wasn't educated, he had simple beliefs, he wasn't worldly. Redneck, hillbilly, housier... Jack could think of a hundred words he would have used to describe and dismiss people like Wyatt.
Wyatt was the reason he was alive, the reason he was here. From his quirky plan to cross the country using a bike and a trailer, eating dog food along the way, to his outlook on life. His friendship with Wyatt had changed him in a way that went beyond words.
His wife and sons at his side, and his friend Wyatt waiting in Morgantown, Jack's vision of the homestead was clearer than ever. His house was gone, burned to the ground, but he had everything he needed to make a new home. His family, a friendship, and hope of what the future would bring.
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EMP Aftermath Series (Book 1): The Journey Home Page 22