22

Remy

I had been trying not to worry about him all summer, ever since he had failed to show for our scheduled meet at the old farmhouse. I hadn't even let myself think about all the things that could've befallen him, and for the most part, I had been able to avoid it all because I was so focused on everything with Stella and Max.

But now, as Lazlo stood before me, a rush of emotion came over me. It was as if the dam that had been holding back all my darkest fear suddenly burst, and for a horrible moment, I felt too much.

Lazlo's smile fell, and he hurried to close the distance between us. A sob escaped my lips because I couldn't contain it.

"Hey, Remy, are you okay?" he put a hand on my shoulder, and his dark eyes were filled with concern. "Did something happen?"

"I thought you were dead," I admitted, and he pulled me in for a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said thickly. "My homestead caught on fire in the winter, and we all managed to get out alive, along with some of the animals, but we had to get here before the cold got us, and I couldn't go back to the old farmhouse to meet you or leave you a note."

"Your homestead burned down?" I asked, and I released him so I could look him in the face as we talked. "What happened?"

I had never been to his homestead, but I knew that he lived on a nice property that his partner had owned before the virus. It was already set up to be self-sufficient, with livestock, gardens, and solar panels, so Lazlo and his family had been doing well for themselves.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you another time," he replied vaguely. "But what are you doing here? Did you come looking for me?"

"No. I mean, I had hoped that I would see you again somewhere, but that's not what brought us to Emberwood," I said. "Stella is pregnant."

His forehead pinched. "Stella? Isn't she a little kid?"

"She is fifteen," I said. "And my sixteen-year-old brother is the father."

"Oh, shit," Lazlo said, and then quickly corrected himself, "Or congratulations?"

"Probably both, I guess," I said. "Stella has been sick, so we came here to get her help. The mayor says that a midwife took her or something." I glanced around the Athenaeum, which was mostly empty other than a few people drinking tea or perusing the books on the shelves.

I lowered my voice when I spoke again anyway. "Is this place safe? Is the mayor good?"

"Yeah, this is a good place," he assured me with a smile. "It's safe, and life is a lot easier living in a community. Are you planning to move here?"

"I don't know. The plan so far is to do whatever is needed for Stella and the baby, and for the time being, that means being here," I said.

"So you just got here today?" he asked.

I nodded. "The mayor was giving us a tour when I heard you singing."

"Well, my singing is certainly the highlight of any tour," he said with a wry smirk, and glanced around at the mostly empty room. "Not a lot of people listen, but I'm still happy to play."

"It is really great to hear you again," I said. "But I should get back to the tour and see how Stella is doing. Do you know where the midwife Jovie Galaway's place is?"

"Yeah, I do. I can take you there. This town can be a little confusing until you get used to the layout," Lazlo said. He looked back over his shoulder and called to the bespectacled woman wiping down the tables. "I'm heading out for the day."

"That is always allowed," she said without looking up. "See you later, Laz."

"Come on," Lazlo said to me and gestured for the door. "Jovie's clinic. There's another clinic that treats wounds and illnesses for everybody, and some animals, actually. That one is run by a veterinarian, a nurse, and an orthopedic surgeon. Jovie just focuses on pregnancy and children under four."

"At home, we've been getting by with a first aid kit and some old books, so all of that sounds like a real upgrade," I said, even though just thinking about doctors or medical equipment made me sick to my stomach.

"Harlow lives in an apartment just over there." Lazlo pointed, and I followed his finger past clothes hanging on the line, a chicken pen built up against a log cabin, and a stand where a vendor seemed to be selling toad kabobs.

"Oh, yeah?" I asked, straining as if I could see her through the walls. "How is she? I'd really like to see her while I'm in town."

"Yeah, I'm sure she'd love that," Lazlo said. "She was hurt in the fire, and she had a real rough go of it for a while. But she's doing better now. I think she's really happy here. Her girlfriend Kimber's working on expanding the town's electrical grid, and they live together. Harlow just opened up her own boutique a month ago."

"That's really great," I said. "Are you happy here?"

"I am." He nodded and smiled. "Me and Nova have this tiny farm on the northern end of town. Still inside the fence, of course, but it's just a great little bit of land to take care of. Our daughter Sage just turned four, and she's growing up so smart and strong."

"When you and Nova had your baby, was it here?" I asked.

"No, we had her on the homestead, but Nova had a really easy pregnancy," Lazlo clarified. "We were also in our mid-twenties. So I don't blame you for getting her help. Jovie has been really good with Sage when she's gone to see her."

We walked down the roads between small buildings made of found materials, like reclaimed wood and scrap metal, and they had been turned into surprisingly quaint homes and shops. I had forgotten about how loud life in a town could be, especially in a cramped one with livestock. People were riding bikes, horses, and donkeys down the roads, along with the other pedestrians.

"Jovie's clinic is just over there," Lazlo said.

But I already knew. It was a cute little two-story house with a barn roof, and Boden was standing on the covered porch out front. His expression was grim, and my heart sunk.

"Boden?" I called and jogged away from Lazlo. "Where is Stella?"

"She's inside, and the midwife is helping her," Boden said, and he was speaking with that tone and had that look, like what he actually wanted to say was, Don't freak out, Remy , but he knew that would only make me freak out faster .

"Is she okay?" I asked as I went up the front steps, and Boden stood blocking the door. "Let me see her."

"Just give me a minute. Max and Serg are with her now, so she's not alone. But I have to tell you something first." Boden was still speaking in that irritatingly soothing tone, and I could see the pain and fear in his eyes.

"Just fucking tell me then!" I snapped.

Boden let out a shaky breath. "Stella was bitten."

I blinked, not understanding. "By what?"

He waited a beat. "A zombie. Earlier today. One must've gotten her somehow during her seizure."

"No. She wasn't bitten." I shook my head. "I would've known. I would've seen it."

He just looked at me, and I knew he was telling the truth, no matter how badly I didn't want to believe it.

"Let me see her." I tried to push past Boden, but when he touched my arm, I started shouting at him. "Let me see her! I raised her! She's my kid!"

"I know. She's my kid, too!" Boden yelled back, and he grabbed my arms to keep me from barreling into the house. "But you've got to calm down! Stella and Max don't need to see you like this. So get ahold of yourself."

Finally, I relented. I leaned against him, and we held each other. "What are we going to do?"