The Ravaging

Epilogue

Summer had passed quickly, the heat making the days flow by until we were greeted by the coolness of autumn. There had been a few scares over the pass few months, a horde of the monsters coming close to breaking down our front gates just a few weeks ago. That had resulted in extra security. A few of the guards had rigged a hose onto the front wall. It was genius manufacturing, since the infected are burned by water. Now, there is a continuous mist coming from the hoses, making it so that the mutants cannot come any closer than a yard to the wall. It makes it easier for them to be picked off.

Besides having to deal with the monsters, Finn and I have been trying to get ready for our wedding. It has been a real hassle since neither of us wanted something too big. But this is the first wedding our community has had since the outbreak, so it is now a huge celebration. Anne, Alena, and Erika had taken the whole ordeal into their hands. But that doesn't mean that we aren't dragged into the whole mess to make final decisions.

The wedding is being held next week, and I honestly cannot wait to just get it over with. I love Finn and I am happy that we are getting married, but this whole wedding planning business is exhausting, especially since our nights are still being frequently interrupted by Cora.

But today, the thought of the wedding is being forced out of my mind. Because today is Remy's birthday.

Apparently, Alena has been keeping a calendar, making it easy to know the dates. When I had returned our filled in registration papers, she had reminded me that Remy's birthday is fast approaching.

Now, here we are, the first day of September, celebrating Remy turning four-years-old.

The little boy has been excited all week, mostly because me and Finn have been hyping him up about the celebration. This morning, he had woken up just as the sun was rising, running into our room and pulling himself up onto the bed while we were still asleep. He had pounced on Finn, his foot accidentally catching me in the stomach in his excited flailing.

Suffice to say, I am really looking forward to bedtime.

The kids are all running around, different games set up for them on the beach while Finn and a few of the others start gathering the wood for a bonfire. Viola is perched on my hip, as per usual, while Cora is strapped to my chest with one of those baby wraps.

"Looks like Remy is having fun," Anne says from beside me. My niece wiggles in her mother's arms as Anne finishes changing her from a swimsuit into a dry t-shirt and shorts. "Actually, it looks like everyone is having a blast."

"Well, he deserves to have fun." Viola grumbles as I move her into a more comfortable position, clinging onto me as if afraid I may put her down. "And it seems like everyone here loves to celebrate."

"Takes our mind off of everything else that is going on outside the walls," she says, finally letting Olivia go once she has tied her hair back. "We deserve to celebrate after all the things that we have survived."

"Too true."

Viola wiggles in my arms, making me look away from my sister. Following the little girl's gaze, my eyes land on an approaching Finn. Viola waves her arms at him, clearly wanting him to hold her, and I let out a breath of relief once Finn picks her up.

She is getting heavier, weighing much more than she used to. In fact, her birthday is at the end of the month. She will be a whole year old in just a few weeks, something that I still find shocking.

"Papa," she cries, a wide smile on her face as Finn presses a kiss against her cheek. Ever since Finn and I discussed him spending more time with the kids, Viola and Remy have grown really close with him. It always makes me smile when I see the love in their eyes for their Papa, knowing that talking to him about the issue was the right thing to do. Now, everything is split between us, making the parenting much more equal.