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Maddie shivered where she stood as the wind twisted around them. For once, she didn’t think they should push it any farther than they already had.
Josh shot Saff a look, as if waiting for her to chime in and agree with him.
She cleared her throat. “I think we should stop,” she said, looking back down at Erin as she rolled the bottom of her pant leg, checking over her swollen ankle.
“I think we should make a fire too,” she continued. “Its windy enough that the smoke should blow away quickly without leaving a trail back to us.”
A small look of relief passed over Maddie’s face as another shiver ran through her.
***
It hadn’t taken them long to find a safe spot for the night, tucked away beneath a rock ledge and shielded on all sides by the thick forest.
Within a few minutes, Josh had gotten a fire going, and they all laid their things out, tucked in close around the flames, absorbing every ounce of warmth they could.
The heat and food seemed to breathe new life into all of them, and soon she could sense their energy returning.
“And then,” Erin said, laughing hard as she continued her story, “when I went out to the car that morning, I saw her on the roof.”
They all laughed, Josh dropping his head beneath his knees. “I didn’t know you’d be up that early,” he said, laughing hard before taking another swig of his water.
Erin continued, her mouth set in an amused smile. “I watched this poor girl climb out of his bedroom window, then get stuck on the roof.”
Saff laughed, shaking her head as Erin continued another story about their teenage years.
“She had no idea how to get down,” Erin laughed.
Josh cut in, “I told her to climb the tree down. I just didn’t realize her arms weren’t long enough to reach it from the roof.”
Maddie chuckled, shaking her head beside her. “Of course you didn’t.”
Josh snorted. “Hey, don’t act like I’m the only one who got caught with girls in my room.”
Saff turned to Maddie, immediately catching the red flush in her cheeks as she smiled and looked down while the rest of her family laughed together.
“You guys both had your fair share of getting caught when you were younger,” James said with a laugh, gazing fondly into the crackling fire.
Saff smirked, shaking her head as she nudged her elbow into Maddie’s.
Maddie turned, laying her head on her shoulder. Although she was still getting used to the public displays of affection, it helped that it didn’t seem to surprise Maddie’s family in the least.
She saw Erin watching Maddie for a moment, a warm smile on her face, before she turned to her.
“So,” Erin said, poking a stick into the fire, “Saff, what was your dating life like before?”
Maddie’s head instantly rose, a horrified look on her face.
Saff chuckled, sipping from her water. “Not really a dating life at all. The long shifts at the hospital didn’t leave much time for anything else.”
Erin hummed. “I can imagine. How long were you working before the outbreak?”
Maddie’s head relaxed down onto her shoulder again as she answered. “I was in the first year of my internship.”
“I hope you don’t mind me saying,” James added from where he sat beside his wife, “I’m surprised you were so far along in your schooling and career. You look quite a bit younger than most of the first years I’ve seen.”
Saff nodded. “I graduated high school a year early to go to college, and I finished med school a little faster than most.”
James smiled at her. “That makes sense. You do seem more intelligent than most first years as well.”