Life After Z

Chapter 11 - Lucas

As we rode over to the farm, Sebbie pulled me over to his bunk and proceeded to pull each and every book out of the pack that Ivy had brought. He would study the cover of each one before asking me to read the title for him. Seeing his excitement was bittersweet. I loved seeing him engage in something that wasn't about violence or survival but it also reminded me of everything he had lost.

Sebbie had only experienced a couple of months of preschool before Z-day, meaning that he should be sitting in a classroom learning his letters and enjoying story time. Instead he spent ninety percent of his time cooped up in a fortified shipping container. And I had been so focused on keeping him alive that I had been skipping a lot of the basics. Like bedtime stories.

Ivy had struck a nerve with me when she asked what was the point of simply surviving. I had kept Sebbie alive but that wasn't enough. We needed purpose and he needed to do more than just ride around in this truck. Maybe it was time for us to stop moving. To finally put down some roots and work to build something real for Sebbie. A home that he could help shape and grow to love. Something to believe and fight for.

Maybe the answer wasn't to try to get Ivy to come with us, but rather to convince her that we were worthy of staying here with her.

With that in mind, when we parked I took Sebbie's hand and together we jumped out of the trailer and headed straight for Ivy. If the heavy shipping container door happened to slam in Jen's face, all the better. Ivy was standing by her bike, pointing at a large white fuel tank that had Diesel written in block red letters on the side. Cooper and Everett were quick to walk over to investigate the apparent gold mine and I knew that they would check the fuel to make sure it was indeed diesel and still good before filling the truck up.

"Ivy!" Sebbie squealed and ran towards her. Just like last time, Ivy didn't hesitate to get down on Sebbie's level and greet him with a hug. Lucky little guy.

"Sebbie," I said with a touch of my disappointed father's tone, "you know to be careful running. Only when it is absolutely necessary." I carefully studied his face and saw that his breathing was starting to become the slightest bit shallow. Even with the extra inhalers that Ivy had gifted with us I knew we needed to be careful. They would eventually run out and then we would find ourselves in the same situation as before.

I really did need to find a more permanent long-term solution.

"Sebbie, want to try something with me?" Ivy asked and my boy was quick to nod his head with an enthusiastic yes. Ivy stood with her legs shoulder width apart and her arms down at her sides. "Okay, I want you to copy me. Bend your knees and take a deep breath in through your nose. Good, now sweep your arms up and reach for the sky while we hold our deep breath in. Awesome Sebbie! You are doing great. Now we will slowly push the air out through our closed mouths as we swing our arms down and bend our knees like this."

I couldn't help the smile that plastered all over my face. Jen had been with us for well over a year and she never engaged Sebbie like this. Hell, his own mother had dropped him off on my doorstep and disappeared into thin air. Yet here Ivy was, showing my son a simple yoga pose that would benefit his condition and I didn't even have to ask her to do it.

I quickly joined in and by the time that Cooper declared the fuel good, Sebbie's breath was back to normal and he was happier than I had seen him since Z-day. "You're really great with Sebbie. Have you spent much time around children?" I asked Ivy, looking for any opening to start a conversation with her.

"My sister has three little ones, and my brother's daughter just started high school before the world ended. We didn't live near each other but we were close. I used to facetime my nieces and nephews all the time," Ivy responded, a look of deep sorrow crossing over her features. "I haven't talked to them since the lines of communication went down. But I know they were still in NYC when the bombs went off."

Oh god. If her family was from New York there was very little hope that they had survived the first wave. NYC was the epicenter and the government had bombed all of the bridges early on to keep the infected people on the island when they realized what was happening. In all of our travels we hadn't come across a single survivor from New York.

"I am so sorry," I said and meant it. We had tried to find my extended family after the convoy broke up. I did end up finding them, but I had been too late. They were roaming the streets of my hometown with deathly pale faces, blackened veins, and clouded over eyes. We had spent the time to burn them, so at least I knew they were no longer forced to be a Z.

I coughed to clear my throat and brought the conversation back to safer ground. "I was a high school history teacher. So lots of experience with willful teens but not so much with kids Sebbie's age."

"Well you must be doing something right. Sebbie is a pretty special kid," Ivy replied, looking over to where Sebbie was helping Everett direct the truck by the fuel tank.

"I know I already said it, but it bares repeating. Thank you for all you have done for us. For Sebbie. I would be lost without him. He is the reason I find the strength to wake up every morning."

"That's the way it's supposed to be. Children being the center of their parents' world, I mean. It is good to see that not everything has changed," Ivy said, sounding wistful.

"Do you want kids?" I asked without really meaning to. Hopefully she wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"I used to. But honestly, I haven't thought about it since the dead rose."

"Does that mean there isn't some sort of love interest waiting for you back with your group?" I asked, throwing subtlety to the wind as Everett and Sebbie came over to join us.

Ivy gave a small chuckle that was directed inward, as if she was laughing at an inside joke before replying, "Ah, no. Nothing like that."

My smile returned tenfold.

Ivy was single.