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“Fewer infected, and people will start feeling safer,” I said.
“Pregnancy will be more appealing when a girl isn’t imagining sprinting for her life while waddling,” Angel said. Daisy started to fuss then, and twin spots appeared on Angel’s shirt. She looked down and sighed. Shax hurried over with Daisy.
“I’m sorry, my Angel.”
“Pfft. You’re doing all the laundry. I’m sorry I keep doing this. Whoever goes out tomorrow needs to find me reusable nursing pads. Please.”
“I like washing your clothes,” Shax said, handing the baby over and watching as Angel started to nurse standing where she was.
“If they can’t find you any, I think one of the ladies over in Unity can make you some,” Emily said. “She’s amazing with the sewing machine.”
“Sounds good to me.” Angel glanced at Mya. “Chip me.”
Mya grinned and fed her a chip.
The house continued to fill with people. Steve and Roland showed up before Sid and Brandon. They chatted with the fey about the upcoming supply run and relocating some of the herd to Unity since it had more pasture space.
“You really don’t want all those animals here much longer,” Brandon said. “The smell will sneak up on you fast.”
Julie, Mya’s mom, talked about building raised beds, and Angel jumped in, talking about building a greenhouse so the community could have fresh produce all year round.
“Terri has a green thumb and would love to have one,” she said. “The bigger the better. Here and in the other communities.”
“I think we could make that happen,” Richard said. “Especially if we can reclaim some of that space in that empty lot.”
“June knows something about hydroponics too,” Mya said. “We should add that to the project plans for this year.”
“Are June and Matt coming over?” Julie asked.
Emily shook her head. “No, they’re having a gathering over there to celebrate too.”
As I listened, I felt a bittersweet sense of peace. The world hadn’t magically reverted to the one we’d known, but that didn’t mean we were doomed. It just meant we needed to find a new way to live. To survive.
And in that regard, I guessed nothing had really changed. People everywhere had struggled to survive before the earthquakes too. Just in different ways. No one was worrying about paying the bills now. Or building a career that meant something.
Our worries were simpler in a lot of ways. We just needed to worry about putting food on the table and not dying when we left the community. But I understood now that those worries would lessen as time passed. We’d work together to ensure we didn’t starve. And the fey and people like my team would do their part to continue to reduce the number of infected.
“All right,” Angel said. “Who wants Daisy?”
Drav moved incredibly fast, scooping the baby from Angel’s breast before Shax could. Mya pouted when she realized she hadn’t even stood a chance, and Angel laughed as she reclasped her nursing bra.
“See?” she said to Mya. “This is why I’m fine with having another one right away. I’m going to eat up all the willing help while the rest of you dither.”
“The only thing you’re going to eat up is all the food,” Hannah said. “And dither? When did my grandma get here.”
“I heard that,” Mary called.
Everyone was still laughing when a tween girl I hadn’t yet met burst through the door.
“We need help!”
Daisy was in Mya’s arms, and the fey were out the door before I could blink. Roni and I were right on their heels. She passed me a handgun from one of her many holsters as we ran.
Then we heard it.
A long, mournful howl.
It was familiar and not a sound I ever thought I’d hear again.
