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4
Tessa
Sometime in the middle of the night Emily had crawled into bed next to Tessa. With the morning sun creeping through the lace curtains, she pried herself from the girl’s warm nest of blankets and instinctively reached for her phone. Still no service and only one bar of battery life left even though she’d plugged it into the charger before she fell asleep.
Reality slapped her across the face. The power still wasn’t on. You need to make a plan. The ache of loneliness crept into the room as it always did at moments like this. She wanted to talk to her husband. What were other people doing? She missed her friends in North Carolina even though they’d all been scattered to the wind. It wasn’t like she could call anyone anyway right now.
Moose whined, excited for breakfast, and put his paw on her knee. She scratched behind his ear and drew comfort from his warmth. The world is not ending. Humans lived without power for centuries. They’d find a way to survive. She needed to make food for the kids and think of a way to entertain them for the day. The laundry basket was still full of clean clothes that needed to be put away. There were things that had to be done.
She picked up the single folded shirt from the basket and put it on the shelf in Landon’s closet above his gun safe. That needs to be dusted off. Sighing, she tiptoed out of the room and pressed her finger against her lips as Moose’s tail thumped on the floor. With any luck, the kids would sleep in and she’d have some time to herself to figure it all out.
There was still enough coffee left in the pot for a single serving of day-old room temperature caffeine. She drank it straight as she sat perched on the stool for the breakfast counter with a notebook spread before her.
In the right column she wrote down a list of everything they owned that she thought would be useful if the world was really ending. They had camping supplies, hiking gear, and enough fuel for the grill to last a while. She would have to check the garage and see what else they had. There was enough food to last at least a few weeks, but a large portion of that was perishable. If the power wasn’t back on in a few hours then she needed to clear out the fridge somehow.
“Morning Mom.” Mason yawned as he padded barefoot into the kitchen. His pajama top was stretched thin, exposing his belly. It’d either shrunk in the wash or the kid wouldn’t stop growing. He set the flashlight on the counter. “This isn’t working anymore. What’s for breakfast?”
Batteries Tessa wrote under the section of things they were going to need and closed the notebook before he could read it. “I don’t know yet. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
She opened the refrigerator door quickly so as not to let the cold escape and grabbed a handful of things. The bananas and apples could go on the counter. She sniffed the carton of eggs and the package of bacon. Good enough. They’d have to use up all the dairy soon, but when Landon got back, she’d go to the grocery store. And if the stores were closed, maybe the local farmer’s markets would set up their stalls. It’d be just like the olden times again if the power didn’t come back on.
The box of matches was in the drawer and she fished them out to light the burner on the gas stove. Moose’s eyes followed Tessa’s movements as he laid on his favorite rug by the sink. The smell of sizzling bacon filled the kitchen. She paused with the spatula in the pan of scrambled eggs. If the power didn’t come back on, how would she get any money out of the bank to buy milk?
One step at a time. She inhaled deeply, pushing the panic away. Let’s just get through the next two days.
“Breakfast is ready,” she called up the stairs. Emily didn’t respond. Moose followed on Tessa’s heels as she climbed the steps, huffing in indignation that anyone in their right mind wouldn’t get up for bacon.
“Hey sweetie.” She climbed onto the bed and reached over to smooth the messy curls that were frizzed up against the pillow. “Time to get up.”
Emily didn’t move. Tessa’s hand instinctively went to her forehead and she leaned over to get a better look at her face. She wasn’t warm, but her eyes were wide open as she stared at the window. Tessa laid down, pulling Emily into her arms and worrying that the crash scene yesterday had already done severe damage but not wanting to bring it up first. Would she have nightmares for the rest of her life? Be afraid to drive? No wonder she’d snuck into her bed last night.
“What if Daddy’s ship gets sick?” Emily whispered against Tessa’s chest.
“Is that what you’re worried about? Daddy’s ship isn’t a car and it seems like only some cars get sick.” Tessa ran her fingers in circles against the girl’s back, breathing in the soft and almost faded baby scent of her daughter until Emily pulled herself away and sat up. She brushed the wild strands of hair out of her face.
“Okay. But I don’t want eggs.”
“Tough luck.” Tessa rolled her eyes.
A knock at the door sent Moose into a panic, barking as he flew down the stairs. The sharp sound in the quiet house made Tessa’s heart jump in her chest.
“Don’t answer it,” she screamed to Mason as she raced down the steps, imagining the worst. Nothing good ever comes from an unwarranted knock.
“The cops are here,” Mason called over his shoulder as he munched on a strip of bacon. Moose bounded through the open door, excited for the intrusion. The color drained from Tessa’s face, but she forced herself to slow down and walk steadily forward. If something had happened to Landon, they wouldn’t have sent the police. It would be a service member standing at her door. She motioned for the kids to sit at the table and pulled Moose inside by his collar.
“What can I do for you today, Officer…” she scanned his uniform for the gold plate, “O’Brien?”
“Good morning, Miss. Sorry to disturb you, but we’re going house to house providing assistance today and asking some questions about your needs.” His mirrored sunglasses reflected her image in them. She ran her fingers through her knotted hair and leaned her head past him to see beyond the side of the garage. The cop car was parked in the middle of the road and his partner was walking toward her neighbor’s house.
She stepped through the door, closing it behind her, and crossed her arms over her chest to hide the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. “We don’t need any help, but how serious is this if the police are going door to door?”
“I’m not here to cause panic.” He pulled a notepad from his pocket. “There’s a shelter set up at the high school and another one at United Methodist on Ashwood Avenue if you need food or water or medicine.”
She bit her lip. “Are the stores not open?”
“We had to secure local business for now after the riots last night at the grocery stores, but it’s under control and nothing to worry about.”
“Riots?”
