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5
Tessa
Smoke from the grill drifted through the backyard while the kids rode their bikes around in the dirt. The smell of cooking meat had already permeated her clothes and hair. Tessa raised the lid and rotated the racks, trying to give it some air and keep the temperature at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. What she thought would take four hours was turning into six and would probably take eight to get all the moisture from the meat, but she wanted it as dry as possible so it would last for months if they ended up using it for snacks when the power came back on.
Pork loin and top round slices ¼ inch thick and soaked in a soy sauce marinade for a few hours sat curling at the edges on the grates. She couldn’t bring herself to use the good steaks for this, the T-bones and ribeyes she’d gotten for her husband’s homecoming. Those were still frozen so she moved them to the expensive Yeti cooler that Landon had to buy and they rarely ever used. If it didn’t keep food cold for two weeks like he’d promised, then he could deal with the rotten meat when he got back. If he got back.
She pushed the thought away. Arthur was hinting at what she already knew could be possible, but she wasn’t going to think along those lines right now. First things first, save whatever food she could before it all turned bad and then deal with whatever was coming next.
On the stovetop, she made a skillet of ground beef and defrosting vegetables covered with cheese for dinner that the kids were probably going to complain about. There was pasta in the pantry which she knew they’d eat with it, but she wanted to save the dried goods for a while just in case. Mason was still upset that she’d said they weren’t going to the neighbors for dinner tomorrow night so she was sure there would be little fights about everything. She glanced through the kitchen window at Sally and Arthur’s house.
They seemed decent enough, but something was off. Especially with Arthur. It was like he was annoyed she existed, or confused about what to do with her. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she felt the same way about him and didn’t want to get too close. Tessa tasted the concoction on the stove and added more dried basil.
Sally was adorable though. The way she handled Arthur made Tessa smile. She could just imagine them as a young couple with Sally’s pleated swing skirt swaying with purpose as she marched around each new house at each duty station directing Arthur on where to hang the framed pictures. Maybe they’d been together all their lives. She hadn’t asked enough questions. Did they have kids too?
Tessa turned off the gas on the stove and stared at the pan. There was definitely going to be a fight tonight. But she knew how to win.
“This is gross.” Emily was the first to break, dropping her spoon into the bowl with a dramatic pout.
“Since you haven’t tried it, I don’t believe you.” Tessa swallowed her food and smiled. It wasn’t half bad and they didn’t normally mind green things, but this many green things in a bowl was bound to shake them up. It wasn’t all green. Bits of yellow corn and orange squares of carrots poked through like wildflowers in a meadow. A really bumpy and greasy meadow flavored with garlic, onions, and herbs. Mason chewed despondently, not even bothering to argue. Somehow that hurt her worse than the whining.
“I don’t want to eat it.” Emily pushed her bowl away. Landon always said she got her stubbornness from Tessa, but she was dead sure this attitude was inherited from the girl’s grandfather.
“Fine, don’t eat it.” Tessa pointed her spoon at Mason. “But don’t expect to eat all the ice cream in the house with us after we finish dinner.”
As a rule, she never bribed, but natural consequences were a thing and the way Mason’s eyes lit up as he shoveled a spoonful into his mouth was more than enough to absolve any mom guilt she had about bending the rules a little.
“You can do it.” Mason gave Emily a pat on her back. She swallowed bravely and nodded, testing the food with her tongue. Mason laughed and let out a loud burp which had him cracking up, clutching his side as he tried to catch his breath. When he finally got under control, he grabbed his empty bowl and turned to Tessa. “Is there any more left?”
Multiple bowls of “it wasn’t that bad” and two full tubs of ice cream later, Emily fell asleep on the couch next to Moose under the soft glow of the camping lantern while Tessa laid on the floor building Legos with Mason.
“Time for bed.” She opened a bag of baby wipes and tried to get out some of the marshmallow that was still stuck in Emily’s hair without waking her. Then she wiped down both of their faces and carried Emily upstairs.
“Mom, can we talk?” Mason stood waiting in the hallway dressed in clean pajamas as Tessa closed the door to Emily’s room.
“What is it?” she whispered, putting a finger over her lips and motioning for him to get into bed. She dimmed the lantern and put it on his nightstand as she crawled under his twin size comforter and tucked it around their legs. “Are you still mad that I said no to dinner tomorrow night?”
“A little.” Mason snuggled against her and bunched the pillow under his head. “I don’t know why we don’t go to friend’s houses anymore like we used to do in North Carolina.”
Way to sucker punch me, kid. She knew the move had been rough on him with Landon leaving less than two months after they got there. It’d been tough for them all. How could she explain to her son that she was tired of trying to make new friends just to lose them three years later when she was the one who reassured him countless times he’d make more? But it was different than normal with Sally and Arthur and whatever else was happening now.
She didn’t even want to admit to herself the growing fear that if the power didn’t come back on and the stores stayed closed that food was going to be scarce in a few weeks. She’d already taken all the water. She couldn’t take their food too. They were old, and if they weren’t going to the shelter then she worried the longer this went on, and the closer they got, she’d be forced to take care of them. It would already be hard enough without two more mouths to feed.
“How about this?” Tessa rubbed circles into his back, soothing him to sleep like she did when he was younger. “When your dad gets home, we’ll invite both of them over for dinner here. That way Dad will have a new friend too.”
“But the popsicles are going to melt by then.” Mason squeezed his eyes closed.
“That’s what all this is about?” She pulled her hand away and stared at him. “Popsicles?” He buried his face in the pillow. Tessa laughed, kissing him on the head. “I can’t even deal with you tonight. I love you. Go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.”
A low growl pulled her from her dreams. Tessa groaned, pulling the quilt over her head, as she tried to cling to the fading image of Landon cornering her in the kitchen with his shirt soaked in sweat and lifting her onto the counter. His thumb was sliding up the curve of her neck, tilting her face to his, and she ran her hands over the taunt muscles of his back…
The furious clicks of claws against the tiled floor and a sharp bark forced her eyes to open. Dang it, Moose. Did she let him out to use the bathroom before bed? Moose’s bark deepened, becoming a warning that someone was here. She searched around in the dark for her phone to check the time. The familiar weight of it in her hand was reassuring, until she touched the screen and pressed the power button. Reality brought her fully awake.
Someone knocked on the door sending Moose into a frenzy of barks that echoed through the house. She threw off the blankets and raced across the room. The soft moonlight shining through the window lit her way. Maybe Landon is home early. She stopped in the doorway, holding the frame with her hand. Landon has a key. Whoever it was, knocked again. She shook her head as she continued forward down the stairs. It’s probably just the neighbors. Maybe they need help.
“Anyone there?” a strange man’s voice called from outside the house. Moose paced in front of the door, barking aggressively with spit flying from his mouth. He never acted like that for strangers. Tessa turned and ran back up the stairs with her heart pounding in her chest. There was no way to call the cops. Was there anywhere to run? She could go to Arthur and Sally’s with the kids, but what would happen if they didn’t answer the door?
Breathe. She fumbled in the dark closet through Landon’s clothes, feeling for the wool shirt. Her fingers slipped into the breast pocket and she pulled out the key to the gun safe.
