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CHAPTER
40
“MERCURY! WAKE UP!”
“You’ve got to come outside and watch the sunrise!”
Mercury cracked her eyelids open just enough to see Gemma, Georgie, and the twins staring at her like she was a package under the tree on Christmas morning.
“The sun is just rising?” she asked as she reached for the bottle of water she’d remembered to fill and put beside her sleeping bag.
“Yeah, you won’t believe the colors!” said Georgie.
Cayden nodded and put his little hand in hers, tugging gently.
“Okay, okay!” She smiled at the boy. “I’m coming.” Mercury pulled on her jeans and then her boots and followed the kids, who were almost dancing with excitement.
As soon as she exited the cave, she understood why. Sometime during the night it had rained, and the rising sun cast rays the yellow of bright, perfect daffodils on the Painted Hills, changing their colors from the rich tones they’d witnessed the evening before to a brilliant watercolor pallet of coral and butter and moss green.
“Totally worth getting up early for, right Acorn?” Stella said as she joined her at the mouth of the cave.
“Totally,” Mercury agreed.
“Oh, good! You’re awake.” Ford’s smile was warm and intimate and sent little shivers of delicious anticipation down Mercury’s spine.
“I am, and our new home is breathtaking,” said Mercury.
“Just wait until we scavenge supplies from Mitchell,” said Ford. “Did you know Imani has a minor in engineering?”
“Huh? I had zero clue,” said Mercury.
Imani nodded as she walked up the gentle incline from the creek. “Yeah, that’s right, I’m smart, and an engineering minor means that I can definitely help us figure out how to tuck adobe homes into the side of these cliffs.”
“That’s fantastic, Imani!” Mercury said.
“What’s also fantastic is that we’ve arrived at the perfect time of year,” Imani said. “As Ford explained while you were getting your beauty sleep, we’re leaving the rainy season and have a couple months before it’s stupid hot during the day. That should give us time to get a sizeable shelter ready for coming summer weather extremes.”
“And also give us time to plant crops,” said Stella.
“And round up some goats and chickens!” Gemma added as Georgie nodded and clapped.
“But our first step is checking out Mitchell,” said Ford. “Stella, I’ve been thinking about what might happen if there are a lot of survivors there. We’ll need to barter. Do you think it’d be okay to offer those bottles of twenty-five year old Macallan in exchange for supplies?”
“It would break my heart a little, but that does sound like a good idea,” said Stella.
“If no one disagrees, I’d like to make that first town run sooner rather than later,” said Ford.
“Oh, we need to go today—now, actually,” said Stella.
“Okay, who all’s going?” Imani asked.
Stella crossed her arms over her chest as she considered. “Ford is the only one of us who’s been to Mitchell, so he needs to go.”
“I’ve been, but I don’t remember much about it except that I had a salmon sandwich from some little restaurant and then got super sick and puked all the way home,” said Gemma.
“I would rather remain here,” said Karen.
“Actually, so would I,” Imani said. “And I could use Gemma’s help with setting up a shelter over the latrine. I got soaked last night when I went to pee, It would be really nice if we could get a cover done by dark.”
