Page 14 of Apricity (Devil Dogs of the Apocalypse)

Cole

“Coffee’s up.”

Took a little bit longer than usual with the lack of electricity but I’ll be damned if there isn’t coffee made every morning for each of us.

We’re limited on what we can do, but we’re nothing if not adaptable.

I ended up using a tea kettle to steep the coffee grounds then placed a paper filter into each mug to strain out all the gritty bits. Wham bam, thank you ma’am. Coffee.

I set out the filtered mugs, dry creamer and sugar for the boys while I prepare Aly’s cup, mixing in her preferred amount of sugar and creamer before moving to the window.

Thankfully, we didn’t see any more of the infected after last night.

There was only the one Hawk got while we were setting traps, and then the one I downed during our mud play last night, but there could always be more.

We haven’t seen the horde since we threw ourselves at this place after the estate went up in smoke but that doesn’t mean they’re not out there, waiting.

We’ve only seen them in small units lately.

Nothing crazy. Nothing we can’t take care of.

Although we prepare for potential encounters whenever we leave the bungalow, bringing weapons with us everywhere we go, the anticipation of a large-scale horde is always on the edge of my mind.

And if it’s on mine , I know it’s on Hawk’s and Jax’s. Probably Aly’s as well.

Jax seems to be doing a little bit better ever since I convinced him to delegate his list of tasks to us.

He’s no longer holding all the responsibility on his own shoulders, but I see it still.

The little bits in the corners of his eyes.

The tightness of his shoulders. He’s on alert.

Especially after what happened last night.

Maybe more so than I’ve seen him get in a while.

Hawk isn’t doing much better from the looks of it. Something’s off. It’s as if being the fancy-free spirit we’ve known him to be is taking its toll. He’s about to crack. I can feel it in my bones.

Aly hops up from the floor where everyone is playing Scrabble next to the fire. She shakes her cute butt as she makes her way over to where she knows I’m hiding her cup- in my left hand, keeping it warm for her. She happily takes it, kissing my cheek before snuggling under my arm for a moment.

It’ll be a cold day in hell when we run out of coffee.

I think Aly will personally enact a vendetta when the time comes, killing everything and anything in her path in order to find some more.

Luckily, Jax still has a bunch in reserve and his stove is gas-powered, hooked up to his propane tank outside that somehow miraculously made it through the hurricane.

Now, I’m not about to go questioning the will of any higher power, but that was happily unexpected.

Probability and statistics these days are an absolute bitch.

Especially when you consider the pile of steaming horse shit the world has turned into.

The fates might’ve taken a lot but at least they left us with this luxury and the ability to tame the beast that is Aly without her morning spicy bean juice.

She smiles up at me and I lean down, unable to keep away from our gorgeous girl. I kiss her nose before swatting a hand across her butt, just because I can and because she loves it when I do. A giggling yelp escapes her but she calms as she focuses outside.

“Is that frost?” she asks.

The temperature has dropped exponentially since we arrived here about a month ago. While it won’t get so cold that we have to worry about stuff freezing, it can, occasionally, get cold enough to get snow. It’s not expected to have a flurry here in North Carolina, but it isn’t uncommon.

“Yes, ma’am. Might even get cold enough to snow soon.”

Aly’s breath catches. “Do you really think so?”

“Anything’s possible.”

“It’s gotta be, like, late November, right?”

I tilt my head in thought. Late November sounds about right.

When everything went to hell in a hand basket, keeping track of dates was the last thing on my mind.

Surviving? Yes. Days of the week? Not so much.

But I do know someone that would know the exact date cause he’s the epitome of a fucking boy scout.

I turn to ask Jax but find him arguing animatedly with Hawk.

“It’s a perfectly acceptable word,” Hawk says, crossing his arms and tilting his chin up.

“ Queef is not a real word,” Jax replies, shaking his head in frustration.

“It sure as fuck is.”

“It’s slang, you douche.”

“But it is a real word… ass.”

“It needs to be in the dictionary to be considered.” Jax lifts the dictionary he’s been using as a reference the entire game. He’s always been a stickler about rules, so of course he’d have that thing handy during a game of Scrabble.

“It is in the dictionary.”

“The actual fucking dictionary. Merriam. Webster. A legitimate dictionary. Not the fucking Urban Dictionary.”

“Hey Jax!” I call out.

Both Jax and Hawk pause their debate and look over their shoulders to where Aly and I are still standing at the window.

As they turn, however, Jax decides to take advantage of their positions and smacks Hawk playfully on the back of the head with the dictionary.

I swear they’re like children sometimes.

“Ah, what the hell?”

“Truth hurts.” Jax smiles before nodding at us. “What’s up?”

“What day is it?”

He lifts his wrist and looks at his watch.

That thing is impressive to say the least. It has every wingding you could possibly think of- compass, elevation, dive depth, calorie counter, blood pressure monitor, heart rate tracker, flashlight, fire starter, and of course the date and time.

If the damn thing could still connect to the internet, it would tell you the weather and the stocks if you wanted.

But the best part? The battery lasts twenty-five damn years.

I swear, if I ever find one, I’m keeping it for myself.

“Let’s see… it is…November twenty-eighth.”

“Thanks man.”

Jax and Hawk go back to arguing about their game but I notice Aly scrunching up her nose in thought.

“What’s wrong, beautiful?” I turn her in my arms so I can look at her better. She shrugs and tries to look away but I stop her attempt to hide herself. “No no no. We don’t do that. What’s wrong?” The guys hear our exchange and drop everything, coming to Aly’s side.

“Baby, what is it?”

“What’s going on, sweetheart?”

She looks at each of us but shakes her head again. “Look, it’s stupid. I don’t even know why it hit me like it did.”

Oh, no. We’re not hiding stuff now. I go to ask but Jax beats me to it.

“Baby, even if it’s something small, it’s not stupid. What is it? How can we help?” Jax offers.

She lifts her hand to the window. “It’s almost Christmas. It’ll be the first time… the first time without… well everybody. I don’t want it to be the first time without Christmas too.”

Jax, Hawk and I exchange glances as Aly continues .

“No… Not Christmas, per say. Something normal. Something to prepare for, to look forward to. Something outside of survival,” she sighs. “That stupid virus took everything from us. Family. Friends. Loved ones. I don’t want it to take something else. Even if it’s something as frivolous as a holiday.”

We’re all quiet as we ponder Aly’s words. She’s not wrong. Nothing’s the same. Nothing will ever be the same.

We have no idea who’s left in this world besides us.

And while I know it’s unrealistic to think we’re the last ones, Aly, me and the guys?

We’re all we have left. I know all my family’s gone.

I know all the guys that were stuck on base are gone.

We’re it. So why not try to take a moment of normalcy in this shit world of chaos? I see nothing wrong with that.

I look to my right to see Hawk’s face transform with excitement and resolve.

The wheels in his head are already turning with a plan with something for all of us to look forward to.

And, in the aftermath of losing almost everything, I think something to look forward to is just what the doctor ordered.

“Fuck, yeah! Let’s do it!”