Page 45

She moved her hand down to her elbow, massaging the new soreness there as she waited for some type of response. And this time she wouldn’t tolerate Saff’s silence. She deserved an answer.
After a few seconds, Saff cleared her throat. “Is your—” she cleared her throat again, although it didn't seem to come from necessity. “Is your arm okay?”
Her voice was so different from what Maddie had heard from her before. She almost didn't know how to answer. It sounded embarrassed, or ashamed? Every ounce of anger that coursed through her veins diminished.
Maddie moved her hand off of her throbbing arm. “It's fine,” she muttered.
This time, she expected and allowed Saff’s silence. It carried on for a few moments, and then finally, Saff broke it.
“The rain stopped,” she said, so quietly Maddie had to strain to hear it. Then she cleared her throat again, and Maddie swore she could hear her purposely adding strength back into her tone. “It should be light again in a few hours,” Saff continued, her voice returning to the hard, borderline emotionless tone it always held. And this time, Maddie was actually relieved to hear it. “Once the sun is up, we can go.”
Maddie nodded, her hand moving up to brush against the tender skin on her neck.
“I'm gonna check the neighbor’s houses for supplies,” Saff muttered, as footsteps walked towards somewhere else in the room. She heard items being moved. Then, as Saff walked by her, she heard her mumble something. It was too soft to make out the exact words, but she thought one of them might have been ‘sorry’.
***
Maddie inhaled, relishing the cold, wet, earthy scent. She’d always loved the rain. But she loved the hours after rainfall even more. The petrichor scent always did something to her lungs. It made her feel lighter—happier. Her lips curled into a smile.
Now that they’d been walking for an hour or so, the atmosphere also felt different. She couldn't put a finger on it, but it was a combination of smells and sounds. Different from the city, but also different from the suburbs they’d traveled through. The sounds and smells were just—more.
“What's it like where we are now?” Maddie asked, the smile still lingering on her lips.
Saff was silent for a few moments, but Maddie didn't mind. For some reason, she was beginning to like it. It was beginningto feel familiar—almost calming, in a way. Like taking a deep breath.
“The road is still pavement,” Saff began, “but no buildings now. There are fields on both sides.”
Maddie thought about that for a moment. “What kind of fields?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like, what's growing in them?”
Saff paused, and Maddie breathed it in, her smile returning as the wet air traveled through her nostrils.
“Nothing,” Saff answered. “They're just—fields.”
“Grass?” Maddie asked, turning her head toward the sound of birds fluttering nearby.
“Yeah.”
“What color is it? Like, is it dead and brown or is it light green or dark green?”
Saff paused. Maddie smiled.
“Dark green. Forest green.”
Maddie hummed. “That's my favorite color.” She tilted her head back and inhaled deeply, savoring every bit of the wet, rich air.
The next pause lasted a bit longer. Then Saff asked, “Can you see color?”
Maddie shook her head, adjusting the sunglasses on her face. “No. But when I was six, I had a favorite band, and one time the lead singer said that her favorite color was dark green. So I figured if that was also my favorite color, I'd be kind of like her. And then it just stuck.”
Saff let out something resembling a snort or a laugh beside her, and Maddie's smile spread. She almost hadn't even imagined that the woman was capable of laughing.
“What?” Maddie asked, letting out a chuckle through her smile.
“Nothing,” Saff mumbled. “I guess I just expected a deeper reason.”