𝐓𝐈𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐎 𝐖𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 ⚠︎︎ 𝐉. 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑

chapter eleven

"Oh, what the fuck is that?" Those were the first words that she heard as the sleep slowly wore off her mind. Thalia smushed her face into the sleeping bag, the smell of coffee drifted to her nose and she picked her head up, "Is that coffee?"

"Yes it is. Up, sleepyhead." A foot landed in her ass and she looked up, an offended expression written across her sleepy face. Joel raised a brow, towering over her. "Since when did you get in a sleeping bag?"

The wife turned back to Ellie, "Not sure..." The girl flipped back, snuggling into her own bag. Thalia sat up, worming her way out of the warmth and wiping her eyes. Her hands flopped back down and she looked up to her husband with a sour expression. "You really don't remember last night?"

She softened at his tone, trying to feign disinterest, "I remember everything- just not how I got into this sleeping bag." Joel nodded and offered a hand to help her stand, both groaning at the exertion. "Thanks, baby..."

A devilish smirk spread across her lips, especially when he adverted his gaze, "Gross." They both turned around to find Ellie rolling up her sleeping bag and staring at the both of them. "Oh just wait 'til we start kissing."

Joel swallows thickly, his eyes wide and she only giggled, reaching down to ball up the sleeping bag. "Let's get in the truck, kiddo." He was left stunned, he couldn't even remember the last time they kissed, he was honestly shocked she brought it up at all.

The spark in their marriage was finally being lit again and it made something inside of him flutter. Joel cleaned everything up and got into the truck, started up and both girls were sitting in the front seat. ABBA was already playing and Thalia had her sunglasses on.

The wife slept most of the way, not that she didn't sleep that night, if she was being honest it was one of the best nights of sleep she's had in years. The extra shut eye couldn't hurt though. Joel was happy, only because he looked over at some point.

Him and Ellie had been making small talk, he told her a bit about Tommy, then she stated that she was barley tired. A few minutes later he saw Ellie with her head on Thalia's shoulder, and her head resting on the teen's. Who knew someone so small could make such a big impact?

Joel turned the music down, allowing both of them to get some sleep and the rest they deserved. Every now and then he'd look over to them, checking that they were still there, that this wasn't some sick dream.

They awoke a few hours later to some turbulence in the road, both girls closing their open mouths and Thalia slipped her sunglasses off, setting them on the dashboard as she stretched out. "How long?"

"Not long, Kansas City now." The truck pulled up on a blockage in the road, there was no way to push through it which meant they'd have to go around it. Joel stopped, turning the engine off, "You two, stay put."

Thalia huffed and watched as he climbed out, getting his gun from the back before inspecting their next route. When he returned she knew they were in trouble when a rumbling groan came from his lips, "How far back are we gonna have to go to get around this?"

He looked at the map, tracing how far back, "Screw it." Joel shut the door and got the truck back into gear, "What're you doing, Joel?"

"We can jog right around this tunnel... take the next ramp, and we're back on the road, minute tops." She sighed and let him do whatever he was planning on doing, there was no point in going against it, he had an idea and she'd let him go through with it.

Being in the city was awfully odd, so quiet and the streets filled with leaves. After some time they got a little... mixed up.

"Where the fuck is the highway?" Ellie scrambled to find it on the map, Thalia leaning over her right shoulder and studying it as well, "I can't tell from this, I'm all turned around."