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“Like I said, it’s under control. If you are in need of food, the shelters will be distribution centers and they are also housing people who need help. They have generators set up providing electricity.” He dug in his pants pocket for a pen. “We can give you a ride there now if you want it.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “I’m not going to any shelter.”
“That’s your choice.” He sighed. It didn’t seem like the first time he’d heard that response today. “How many of you are in this residence? I saw two kids and obviously you, is there anyone else that lives here? Anyone who needs special assistance?” He held the pen above the notepad.
“We don’t need any help.” She shook her head. “And my husband lives here too.”
A heavy black eyebrow arched above the sunglasses. “Your husband. Where is he now?”
Crap. She hated that question and the fear that always came when a stranger asked about their life. Badge or not, there was never a way to tell who you could really trust. “He went to buy some milk, but since the stores are closed, I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
“You have a working vehicle?” Officer O’Brien scribbled some words onto the page. Something felt odd about the urgency in this question.
Tessa didn’t miss a beat. “Nope. Our Kia is acting strange so Landon rode his bike down the hill.” The sunglasses reflected the Telluride still parked on the street as he turned his head.
“I see.” He drew a line through the note. “Two kids. Two adults. No medical issues. And you don’t want our assistance right now, which is fine.” He lowered the sunglasses so she could see his deep brown and red rimmed eyes. They were lined with bags from a night with no sleep, but seemed to stare straight through her with a sharpness that could only come from years on the job. “Do you own any firearms, registered or otherwise?”
She felt bad for the cop, she really did. How many houses would he have to go to today and deal with worried people who needed help? He seemed like a decent enough guy even though her dad had warned her that city cops weren’t worth a damn. At least he wasn’t highway patrol.
“Oh no.” Tessa put her hand over her heart. “Why would I own any guns? I wouldn’t want them around my kids.” It was only half a lie. She’d never personally purchased any weapons. That was Landon’s thing.
“Alright.” He pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose. “If you have any issues, come down to one of the shelters.”
“Will do,” she nodded to appease him, “but if I promise not to panic, can you let me know what I should be expecting?”
“Well, if you have some food I wouldn’t worry right now. Water may get tricky especially with you being up here on the hill. Gravity can only move it so far without the reservoir pumps working, but you should be okay with what’s in the pipes for another day or two. After that, I’d ask your neighbors down the hill if they can let you use the hose.”
She wasn’t sure if he was purposefully avoiding the real question. “You’re expecting this to last a few days then?”
“Maybe a week or so. We’ll let you know more when we do.” He gave her a tight-lipped smile as he turned away and she knew he was lying too. A year, her dad’s warning ran through her mind.
She went to the edge of the walkway and watched as O’Brien climbed into the driver side of the patrol car. His partner was shaking his head as he hurried away from the neighbor’s house. The old man stood on his porch, barely visible behind the manicured hedges. She still couldn’t remember his name. He turned as if he felt her staring at him and she gave an embarrassed wave before rushing inside and bolting the door behind her.
“When Mommy says not to open the door, I mean it.” Tessa put her hands on Mason’s shoulder and squatted down so she was at eye level with him in his chair.
His cheeks were full of half chewed bacon. “You lied to the cops.”
“It wasn’t a lie. It was an omission.”
“No.” He swallowed painfully hard. “You said Dad was home and he isn’t. You lied.”
“Well he’s going to be home soon, so I fibbed a little to make sure the cop wasn’t worried about us, okay?” She hoped she sounded convincing. “But when I say not to open the door, don’t open the door. Got it?”
“Got it.” Mason nodded as he shoveled a forkful of food into his mouth.
“How many bites do I have to take?” Emily pushed the eggs around on her plate. Moose laid under her chair, standing guard to protect the floor from any falling bits of food. It was all so normal that it seemed surreal. How can there be riots in the grocery stores and shelters set up in town when my kid is still complaining about breakfast?
“All of the bites.” Tessa slumped down on the chair and grabbed a piece of bacon.
She gathered up the dishes from the stove and carried them to the sink. It was amazing how quiet the house had become in less than twenty-four hours with no television noise in the background and without the soft hum of electricity as the appliances did their thing. She reached for the faucet absentmindedly, thinking about what arts and crafts she could scrounge up to keep the kids busy this morning.
No. She turned the handle back and forth, pressing it as far as it would go. The single drop of water that dripped from the faucet made a soft thud as it splashed against the metal sink.
Okay. Don’t panic. Tessa took a step back. There were four five-gallon buckets of water next to the side door and the counter to the right was covered with jugs and bottles that she’d filled last night. You should have given the kids a bath. Both tubs were still full upstairs and she hadn’t wanted to empty them yet. At least she’d had the foresight to prepare for this. When the power went out in Idaho, the pump to their well stopped working. It was only ever a minor inconvenience though. They lived right by the river. You couldn’t throw a stone without hitting water.
Her eyes drifted to the kitchen window, scanning the desert landscape of the dry valley that stretched below them. She knew she should try to make friends with the neighbors down there if they were going to be without power for a few weeks, but her first real encounter with anyone in the subdivision hadn’t gone so well yesterday.
She glanced over to the hedges that partially blocked the view of the only other house up on the hill. That’s just great, Tessa. The realization made her sick. You panicked and now the old couple across the street are going to die of dehydration. Were they smart enough to fill up some buckets? She really, really hoped so. They should have gone to the shelter anyway. What if something happened and they couldn’t call for help? You had to do what was right for your kids. She tried to ease her own guilt but it wasn’t working.
