Page 83
Emma gulped. “That Jenni sent me?”
With a sad smile, Katie nodded. “She’s good at saving people. She saved me, you know, on that first day. My wife was dead, I was in shock and lost in a neighborhood I didn’t know, and then I saw her standing outside of her front door in a pink bathrobe. My instantaneous instinct was to save her, so I pulled over. At first I thought I saved her, but looking back, I know she saved me too. She gave me a purpose that day. Otherwise, I’m not sure what would have happened to me. But now I’m here helping to rebuild the world.”
“And a mom to the next generation.” She’d caught Katie’s reference to a wife, but wasn’t about to ask about something so personal.
“Which I thought I’d never be.” Katie laughed with delight. “I blame Jenni.”
“It’s good though, right?” Emma attempted not to sound annoyed, but her own loss pinched at her insides.
Katie’s bittersweet smile and gentle expression said much about her as a person. “It’s very good. It’s a blessing that I am grateful for especially knowing how much has been lost. I am sad for your loss, but I am glad you came here for a new start.”
Emma sensed her sincerity. It was evident Katie had realized she’d bumped a wound and was trying to soothe the smarting. Everyone was walking around with trauma triggers that could go off at the most innocuous comment. It wasn’t Katie’s fault that she was a new mother with a living child while Emma and Macy were mourning theirs.
“It’s intense starting over after being alone for a year,” Emma said, gazing at the hotel. “There are so many people...”
“It wasn’t just you getting claustrophobic earlier. I got overwhelmed in the lobby too. Everyone wanted to see Bryce, so Travis took over showing her off so I could come here to see Jenni.”
“I’m sorry. I should have left when you got here.”
“No, no. I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to meet you. I like getting to know all the new people who arrive. I completely understand how it feels to arrive here and finally be safe enough to mourn and heal from all the shit we went through.” Katie glanced toward City Hall where Travis now stood on the doorstep with Yolanda. She was holding the baby, cooing with delight over the newborn. “I expected to fight to survive, but I didn’t expect to fall in love and create a new family. That was a surprise.”
Emma mulled over Katie’s comment, remembering Rune’s words. She had time to discover what the Fort could offer her. Whether that included finding love again was another matter, but she had time to find her way.
“Is it worth it? To start over? To love again? Even with the risks?” she asked.
With a wistful smile, Katie said simply, “Yes. As terrifying as this world is, it is worth it.”
27
The Risks
When Katie left after a few more minutes of small talk, Emma’s panic at
tack had diminished to the point where she was starting to feel like herself again. The shakiness in her hands and her rapidly beating heart had returned to normal during her conversation with Katie. Feeling calmer, Emma watched Katie and her husband retreat back into the hotel with Yolanda in their wake.
It was dinner time, but despite her hunger, she couldn’t quite bring herself to go inside the hotel. She watched the sunset while the breeze ruffled her hair and dried the remains of her tears.
The sun was just vanishing behind the horizon when Juan appeared carrying a covered tray and holding a bottle of water under his arm. She expected him to keep walking past the memorial, but he joined her.
“Hey,” he said, sounding awkward.
“Hi.”
Holding out the food and bottled water, he gave her a sheepish look. “You didn’t make it to dinner, so I brought you a tray. It’s a hamburger and fries.”
Emma arched her eyebrows while taking the tray. “A real hamburger?”
“We watch over a herd of cattle on a nearby ranch, so yes, it’s a real hamburger.”
Pulling the foil off, Emma squealed with delight. “Oh my God! Thank you so much for bringing me this. It looks and smells amazing!”
Sitting beside her, Juan squared his shoulders beneath his clean white shirt. He had scrubbed up for dinner and smelled of soap and shampoo. “Katie said she saw you out here, so I thought I’d see if you were still here after you didn’t show up in the dining hall.”
“Well, I do appreciate it.”
“I had some time on my hands, so it’s no big deal.”
Juan’s tone implied that it was a bigger deal than he was admitting. He’d come here with a purpose and that made her a little uneasy. Emma set the water bottle between them, a small barrier.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83 (Reading here)
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87