“I can do that,” Alyssa said. “You know, after I’ve seen said cottage and figured it all out.”
“It won’t take long,” Heather said. “You and Kendrick are in the cabin beside mine, and we’ll be able to talk more.”
“It’s weird seeing you so much older. I can’t believe I’m marrying your son.”
Heather laughed. “It was even weirder with Holli. Now I’ve been through it once, it seems almost commonplace.”
Alyssa raised an eyebrow at Heather. “Is that so?”
“Not at all!” Heather said. All three women laughed for a moment.
“Tell me about the ceremony,” Alyssa said.
“It’ll be in English because I requested that of the priest,” Holli said. “You just answer where and when you’re supposed to, and then you go home with Kendrick after we throw a huge party.”
“I see.” Alyssa took a deep breath. “Am I doing the right thing?”
“We both wondered that as well,” Heather said. “Trust me. My son will treat you like a queen.”
Alyssa realized she’d followed her friend’s convoluted explanation. “Why did Kendrick have a cut on his shoulder?”
Heather nodded. “It’s the way he trains the men. I wish he wouldn’t be quite so hands on as he trains, but they all tell me it’s the only way to train an army.”
“Don’t you almost wish we’d brought rifles back with us to keep them safe?” Alyssa asked.
“More times than I care to admit to,” Heather said. “Oh, and when Dr. Lachele comes back to see you, you have to send someone for all of us right away.”
“She’s going to come back to see me?” Alyssa asked. “No one told me about that.”
“Well, it happens. It’s pretty cool too.”
Holli narrowed her eyes at her friend. “You know you were brought back just a generation before the Black Death ravaged Europe, right?”
Alyssa groaned. “I left one pandemic to come back to the worst in the history of the world. Sounds like me.”
“Pandemic?” Heather asked.
“I forgot you came back in 2019. Covid-19 was a pandemic starting around February of 2020. It started in China and quickly spread to the rest of the world. So many people have died from this thing. Everyone runs around in a mask.”
Holli sighed. “I left when it was first being reported on. I didn’t realize it got so bad.”
“So bad. They developed a vaccine, but half the world thinks the vaccine is made to put trackers into people’s bodies, so they refuse. The other half gets the vaccine. So many fights, all because doctors are trying to save people.” Alyssa sighed dramatically. “I wish everyone could just get along for a while.”
“Never going to happen,” Heather said. “We have the closest thing to peace this clan has ever seen, and we’re keeping it that way.”
“How?” Alyssa asked. “You think you can guarantee peace?”
“I seriously doubt it,” Heather said. “But when people start being killed off by the Black Death, I have a feeling we’ll be the most popular clan around. Having a healer seems to work that way.”
Alyssa shook her head. “There must be better ways to have peace among men. I’m ready to go all out hippy and start protesting all the wars.”
Holli giggled. “Imagine just how the Highlanders would react to a hippy. They would have no idea what to do.”
A knock on the door had them all jumping. “Yes?” Holli called.
“The priest is here. It’s time,” called the voice back.
Alyssa took a deep breath. “I guess I’m going to get married.”
