by K. A. Gandy
We all stop in the street, and watch as she disappears through a swinging glass door. Looking up, I see that it’s a pharmacy. Five minutes later, she returns empty handed and with a scowl on her face. Ajax shakes his head, and continues escorting us home without comment. Once we’re walking again, she grabs my arm and slows me down so we have some space from the rest of the group.
“No pregnancy tests available. The pharmacist very snidely informed me that they don’t throw away testing supplies like the NLC—apparently tests are done by blood draw only, and only after ten weeks with no cycle, to ‘preserve medical resources.’” She makes air quotes with her fingers.
“Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, huh?” I keep my tone light, but my stomach is in knots. Not knowing feels like the sword of Damocles hovering over me. If I am, and people find out, the kidnapping attempts could double. If I’m not, we’re back to the drawing board, depending on how things end up with the NLC and the NAA rules. No baby in the next two and a half years, no more marriage to Patrick.
“I know, but it’s annoying. It’s not like we had much choice in the matter, but he acted like I was some sort of spoiled brat. Me, can you imagine?” She grips her chest dramatically, and I can’t help the smile that crosses my face.
“Never! You?!” I slip my arm around her waist, and give her a short but tight squeeze to convey my thanks. “You’re the best, Nell. Seriously. I would be going nuts without you here through all this. But, I’m also sorry you got dragged into it.” I look down at the pavement—at my boots, so out of place covered in dust in this city.
She scoffs. “Girl, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I’ve fallen butt-first into a ringside seat to the next phase of humanity as we know it, which is way more excitement than I expected when I snuck out of my uncle’s house at three a.m. to hitch a shuttle to the NLC. I mean—you’re going to change things. You and Patrick are really, really going to shake things up. Can’t you imagine it? You with your perfect genes, him with his perfect hair—your babies will be unstoppable forces of nature.” She shakes her fist at the sky to punctuate her point, and a strangled laugh escapes me as we approach our front door.
“Have a nice afternoon, folks. And remember, low profile.” Ajax glares at Nell as we file past him into the house.
She blows him a kiss and bats her eyelashes as she walks by into the dim entryway.
I shake my head and walk in behind her. I’ll never be bored with Nell around, that’s for dang sure.
Most of the next day and a half are filled with me baking up anything and everything that sounds good. A lot of it I can’t stomach, but sweet, sugar-rolled ginger cookies make me feel human again, and I may not eat anything else for the rest of my life. A fresh tray is lying on the counter, with only two minutes left on the cooling timer, when there’s a knock at the front door. Since the kitchen is closest to the door, I shuck off my oven mitts, but don’t bother removing my apron to talk to the guards. They’re probably coming to ask if I’ve got any cookies ready yet.
They may not be sure if they like us yet, but they are sold on my baking abilities. I swing the door wide, and freeze at the sight of a petite brunette, freckles dusted across her nose. “Uhm, hello.”
“Hi, I’m your neighbor across the street. It seemed like time we met, since you’ve had a bit of time to settle in. May we come in?”
My eyes drop down, and I see two identical brown heads peeking from behind her shyly. When they realize they’ve been spotted, they disappear back behind her.
With a chuckle at their antics, I hold the door wide. “Come on in, uh . . . ?”
“Halle, thank you. And this is Daniel, and Delia.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet all of you. I’m Sadie. I just pulled some cookies out of the oven—would you like some?” I switch into hostess mode seamlessly, falling back on years of southern hospitality.
“Oh, that would be great, if you have enough to spare?” she questions, and I file that away for later. How bad is the supply situation here?
“Of course, we have plenty. And I’ll grab Nell, too. She’ll be excited to meet you all.”
Her eyebrows raise in surprise. “I didn’t know there were two women in your family. What does that make you, a quint, or . . .”
I smile, and save her from further guessing. “A quad, for now. It’s Nell, Atlas, Patrick, and myself.”
“Oh, I see. You’re new here, so that will likely change over time.”
I ponder her observation as I go knock on Nell’s bedroom door. Music thumps underneath, in typical Nell fashion, but I hear her holler anyways. “Coming!” After a moment, the music cuts off, and she opens the door, a bit breathless. “What’s up, buttercup?”
I snort a laugh. “We have guests.”
She sighs wearily. “Ugh, who is it now? Helena? One of her many man-loves? Or Pierce to recruit you to be in their grouple and make genetically superior babies with him?”
“Would you hush? It’s real, normal visitors. The woman from across the street, and her kids.”
She drops her hairbrush and cheers up instantly. “Well, that’s way better. Let’s go!” She breezes past me to meet them, and I head to the kitchen to grab some cookies and plates. Nell’s voice carries from the other room. “Oh! You’re Halle from the street, and hey, soccer superstars! Nice coaching work the other day.”
Halle looks confused as I carry in the goodies. “Uhm, what?”
I elbow Nell in the ribs, and she has the good grace to look embarrassed for blurting it out. “Sorry, it’s just that we actually saw you in the street, with one of your husbands, err, boyfriends? I’m not really clear on how the titles work yet, but it seemed like you two weren’t having a good day. We also saw these two giving a little guy a soccer lesson.”
The kids both giggle, and happily accept a cookie. Their mom’s face heats, and I want to smack Nell for her comment all over again. “Oh, how embarrassing. Yes, that’s me, and sounds just like the twins.” She tucks a short, silky strand of hair behind her ear, and stares out the window. “Well, I guess the good first impression is out the window now, huh?”
Twins, that’s amazing! I’ve never met a set outside of my family.
Nell laughs at her blunt assessment. “How about we call it even?”
Halle smiles in response, and it seems we’re back on solid footing. “So, it must be complicated having more than one man. How many hub-sicles do you have, exactly? And twins are super rare, so one of them must be a great match.” Nell bites a cookie enthusiastically.
“Nell, seriously?” I look pointedly at the kids. She shrugs unapologetically in response, and continues waiting for Halle to answer.
“You guys are really new here, huh? I guess I’ll give you the lowdown. I have”—she pauses, and clears her throat—“well, had, two partners. Tate, who you saw with me in the street, and Danny.”
My eyes flit back to the kids, who are completely ignoring us and playing some sort of handheld games. I shovel another cookie on each plate, and little hands immediately grab them without looking up. That brings a small smile, because kids are kids, no matter where they are—and that’s definitely something my nephews would do.
“We call anyone in the relationship a partner, to keep it simple,” she adds, immediately switching from the painful topic.
“Partner, got it,” Nell affirms.
“Yes. So, Danny was my sweetheart. We grew up together in the same tiny town, and always knew we were destined for each other. His parents, however, insisted that we undergo genetic tests to ensure we were a match. The New Life Program was well underway by then, but still optional. So, we did the testing, so confident. We were a very low match, only about twenty percent.” She pauses, and looks off to the side, struggling with the raw memory. Clears her throat. “Anyways, after the results, both of our families insisted that we enroll in the program. Danny and I didn’t care, we wanted to be together regardless if we ever had kids. Young love, right?”
>
I give her a gentle smile, and she continues. My heart is breaking at her sincere words, since I already know that this isn’t going to end well.
“Anyways, we refused, but they kept after us. After a while, the constant pressure was too much. We were both only children, so the hopes of four parents being dashed simultaneously was a lot, and we were so young.” She strokes one of the twin’s heads. “We decided to run away together—really live the romantic dream.” At that, Halle laughs. “We learned quickly how hard it was with no family support, no money, no way for me to get a job without a baby already in tow. Because for quite some time, there was no baby in tow. Eventually, we heard rumors about a place that would accept you, give you a job, and let you live as you wanted, free of expectation. We got here as fast as we could, and never looked back. Tate came along within a year, and my babies not long after.”
“Wow, so the whole multiple-men thing really worked for you.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “I assume you think it will work for you, too, or else you wouldn’t be here?”
Nell shrugged, and cast a glance my way.
“We’re not that far off from your own experience, honestly. Our previous situation wasn’t safe. We wanted to be together, without the expectations, and we heard it was possible here. Different, but possible. For now, it’s only the four of us.” I left it at that, as I had no desire to lie to her, after she’d shared with us.
She nodded. “Believe it or not, a lot of couples end up here that way. They want to be with the person they choose, and things change over time as they’re ready for a baby.” Her hand drops to her belly. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this again, without Danny.”
My heart twists in misery at her grief.
“He was killed a few months ago, on a mission. We didn’t even get his body back to have a real funeral, just a ceremony.” Her voice turns bitter, and I can’t blame her. The idea of no more Patrick to hold, no closure, no nothing, fills me with dread.
“So, you’re expecting again?” Nell asks gently.
“Yes, after six years we thought we were only going to get our two, and were happy with that. This little one was a surprise. I found out right after Danny died. It could be his, you know? It’s a long shot, but it could be.” She rubs her belly, and I can see the hope written plain as day on her features.
How terrible to finally get to have a baby with the man you loved, but not have him here for it? I struggle to find the words to say which don’t sound trite, but nothing comes. “I’m so sorry, Halle. That must feel impossible.”
Her responding smile is more of a grimace. “It’s impossible and unavoidable at the same time. I don’t have a choice except to put one foot in front of the other, and do my best for the kids.”
“Will you four be joining us at the gathering this evening? It’s informal, but a tradition around here. We all share a meal about once a month if the weather’s nice, and usually there’s news. Everyone takes the night off to just be together. It’s always a good time, and I know a lot of people would like to meet you all.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet of you! I’ll have to check with Patrick and Atlas, but—”
“We won't let them say no!” Nell cuts me off before I can politely turn down the request. I smile politely, despite the worry gnawing at my gut.
“Great, you can walk over with me. If you bring these cookies, you’ll be the talk of the town by night’s end,” she muses, nibbling on the barely-touched cookie.
“Well, we’ll have to make more, then!” Nell says with enthusiasm.
Oh, boy. We are going to be in trouble with the guys.
Halle gathers up her kids, I gather up another half-dozen cookies for them to have later, and Nell sees them out.
Nell follows me to the kitchen where I slip my apron back over my head before turning on her. “Nell, what were you thinking? There’s no way Atlas is going to agree to this gathering, and I’m pretty sure Helena’s guards won’t appreciate it, either. Not to mention, we could be recognized! Our cover is ninety percent staying out of sight, not parading in front of the entire population.”
Nell shakes her head at me but doesn’t look the least bit apologetic. “Sadie, simmer down. You aren’t thinking this through.”
I reel back in shock. “I’m not thinking it through? Really? Do explain.”
She props her hip against the counter before answering. “Listen, you’re a rule follower, and I get that. Plus, you’re also basically the sweetest person in existence, and I love you for that. But we have to know these people, to understand them. And they are more than just Helena and her merry band of meatheads. You’re telling me you don’t see them differently now, after hearing Halle’s story?”
“Of course I do,” I agree softly.
“Exactly. They’re not just a bunch of weirdo sex fiends. They’ve run from society for freedom. They don’t have the resources we had at the NLC, and how can we judge them? We can’t. We need to understand them.”
I’m genuinely surprised by her wisdom in this moment, and I stay silent for a while as I ponder. “Okay, I admit you may not be wrong.”
She snorts at me. “May not be wrong, Mrs. Politician? I’m not wrong. And, my gut tells me we need to go to this gathering. She said they share news, and we haven't heard a peep about anything since we’ve been here.”
My stomach flip-flops at the possibility of finding out what happened after we left. Atlas has been like a dog with a bone pestering the guards, but they’ve remained tight-lipped about any fallout from our kidnapping-turned-escape.
“We’re still going to have to convince the guys,” I acquiesce, and turn to the fridge for more butter. “And bake a lot more cookies.”
✽✽✽
Six hours later, I’m dressed in a clean black uniform, and I’ve swapped my favorite boots for a pair of ubiquitous black sneakers. Atlas and Nell had a fight the size of Saskerta about the plan for this evening, but in the end, Patrick sided with us, and that was that.
Rather than deal with our ever-near guards, we all agreed it would be best to go with the element of surprise, and bet that they wouldn’t make a scene to retrieve us.
After popping in my green contacts, I pull my hair into a scruffy bun, making sure the bleached section is prominently displayed. It is a tiny detail, but we are trying to hide in plain sight so I opt for something uncharacteristic. Satisfied that I look neat—if not myself—I leave our room to find Patrick and Atlas waiting. Banging pans sound from the kitchen—alerting me to Nell’s location—so I walk in to help her gather up the baked goods we are bringing. Cookies being so small, I decided to also make some larger trays of brownies studded with chunks of dark chocolate, and a gooseberry pie.
Goodies in hand, we set out to meet Halle, Tate, and the kids. I immediately spot Branch, my least favorite of our guards, leaning across the street, looking bored. He’s messing around with his watch, and doesn’t immediately notice us as we make our way across the street to Halle’s house. Patrick’s knock on the door draws his attention, and his bushy brows mash together in confusion. Before he moves to confront us, the door flings open with a bang.
“Moooo-om, the cookie lady, and her nosy friend, and two stranger-men are here!” Halle’s son Daniel calls out unapologetically over his shoulder. “Did you make more of those cookies? Ours are already gone.”
Patrick chuckles at his undisguised enthusiasm.
“I did, but you’ll have to wait until after supper.” Reaching forward, I tap him on the nose.
He sighs. “Why do all moms say that . . .” Turning on his heel, he disappears into the house without further comment, right as Halle bustles toward us.
“Hey, everyone. I’m”—she shakes her head—“I’m really sorry about that. Teaching manners to a seven-year-old is like trying to teach a cat to ride a unicycle. They have no interest, and they resent you for trying.”
Nell snorts, “I think we’re going to be really good friends. Best fri
ends, even. Sorry, Sadie.”
I roll my eyes at her antics. “Yeah, yeah. I know how to share. Six brothers, remember?” The statement slips out in the teasing moment, and I freeze, my eyes darting to meet Patrick’s. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I let that detail slip?
Halle’s eyes widen, and her partner Tate appears over her shoulder, twins in tow. “Did you say you have six brothers?” he asks, by way of introduction.
I chuckle, and I can hear my nerves in the sound. “Oh, yep. That’s me, super weird big family girl.” I shrug, aiming for nonchalance.
“Wow, that’s amazing.” He sticks out his hand to shake. “I’m Tate, nice to meet you all.” As we all shake his hand in turn, the kids start clamoring for snacks, and the subject is dropped, thankfully. Sending up silent thanks for mercy, we walk down the road in a companionable throng. I cast a quick glance over my shoulder, and see that Branch has given up on casual indifference, and is nearly shouting into his comm watch.
I can’t contain my smirk as I turn back around, and Halle spots it. “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing. That guy back there has eyebrows that remind me of those fuzzy dotted caterpillars.”
She chuckles. “All right, then.”
The rest of the walk is uneventful, and we arrive at a large hillside with blankets and picnic tables haphazardly placed all over it.
“Crap on a cracker, I didn’t think about a blanket to sit on,” Nell grumbles, but Tate waves her off.
“No biggie, we have a picnic table we always claim.”
They lead us pell-mell across the hill, to a random table. The nip in the air is stronger here, and I can faintly smell the ocean salt on the continuous breeze.
We set out all of our foodstuffs down the center of a long table, and other groups do the same all around us. Delicious scents reach my nose, as well as the occasional rank waft of a fish dish floating in a greenish sauce.