“Either they are biding their time, or this was one final ‘fuck you’,” said Connor. He hoped for the latter.
The door slammed from the house, and Connor spotted Rich walking towards them. Their watch was over. There was nothing to do to the zombies right now. They would have to wait them out.
“Hey, Rich. Don’t freak out, but the farm is surrounded by hundreds of zombies. I hope you weren’t planning on going to the mall.” Juliet laughed at his lame joke. In spite of everything, Connor’s sense of humor was more alive today than it had been in a long time. It was like Uncle Allen said, ‘As long as we’ve got humor, we’ve got hope.’
They left Rich in the lookout, a terrified look on his face as he scanned the fields below. Inside, Rus and Phil sat on the couch together. They both looked miserable. At least they are alive.
“Rus, I’m sorry to break it to you, but you and Polly are going to be stuck here for a little while.” Connor told everyone about the situation. They would deal with the zombies, in time, he said. But for now, the priority was healing. And planning for the future.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The undead still surrounded the wall, but inside, bees buzzed around the squash plants. The bright yellow squash dangled like half-deflated balloons. The stems were prickly as Juliet pushed them aside to better reach the vegetables. Juliet enjoyed gardening. Some things were simply amazing to watch. In a world where death was always knocking at the doorstep, now more than ever, she could watch day after day as a little sliver of a leaf grew and grew until it bore fruit. She had been tending this particular squash for a couple of weeks. It had been the size of a bean when she first spotted it. Now, it was as big as her hand. She had searched it out every day, taking pleasure in its growth. This must be what it’s like to be a parent watching your kids grow up before your eyes. She laughed at the comparison.
“What’s so funny?” asked Cedric. Juliet spent a lot of time gardening with her father these days. He bent over the tomato plants, pulling up weeds between the wood slats that held the plants up. The tomato plants were so full of bright red tomatoes that they tipped over if left unsupported. That was a good way to let the fruit rot, Juliet had learned.
“Oh, just thinking to myself. Do you remember when I was a little girl? What it was like to watch me grow up?” Cedric sat up and wiped the sweat from his brow, leaving a smudge of dirt on his forehead.
“Of course. You were the cutest little thing. Chubby cheeks, hair so blond it was almost white. And your eyes, they were the brightest green back then. How could I forget? Your mom and I used to take you to the park. And you loved to swing. Stella always said I pushed you too high, but you loved it. Whenever she would turn her back, I would send you flying.” Cedric smiled, lost in the memory. It had been a while since he had last spoken about Juliet’s mother. It had nearly destroyed him when they lost her. “You were my baby for a long time. Until you became a teenager. Then it was like we were there to serve you. No more hugs and kisses for mom and daddy.” He laughed. “That’s how it goes, though.”
“Aw, Dad. I’m sorry. I know I was a brat sometimes.” She had always preferred nights out with her friends over her parents. Juliet wasn’t a bad kid, she stayed out of trouble, but she knew she wasn’t the easiest to get along with back then.
“That’s life, Jules. Kids grow up and think they know everything. I did it to my parents too. At least you never got into trouble. We were thankful for that.”
Juliet took a seat in the grass, her basket filled with squash beside her. “I wish I had spent more time with Mom.” This was the first time Juliet had pressed Cedric to talk about her mother.
“Yeah, me too. There is so much I wish I would have done. Things I would have changed if I had another chance. Our marriage was great, don’t get me wrong. But there are so many things, small things I could have let go. Precious seconds, every one of them.” Cedric emptied his arms full of tomatoes into the basket and sat down next to his daughter. “You ever wonder how different the world would be if we knew when each and every person was going to die? If they all carried these time bombs around their necks, and you could see exactly how much time you had with every person. How different that all would be! To never let anyone go without saying your good-byes.”
Juliet pondered the idea. If that was the way things were, the special moments would surely disappear. Everything would have a time and place. She wouldn’t want that.
“I don’t think that’s any way to live. That’s what makes life so special, the not knowing. It makes it hurt sometimes, too,” she said.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Cedric’s chin rested on his fingers, deep in thought.
“Dad, how did you know Mom was the one for you?”
“You and Connor getting serious?” he asked. Cedric bypassed the question, somehow knowing what Juliet was really getting at.
“I don’t know, Dad. Just tell me how you knew.” Truth be told, Juliet wasn’t sure what the next step with Connor would be. All she knew was that they had something special. They were in love and she wanted to see where it took them.
“I remember the first time I saw her. We were out with some friends bowling. Bowling used to be pretty popular back in the day. My buddy Mac brought her as his date. She was so beautiful. Had gorgeous blond hair like yours. I still remember what she wore, this plaid skirt with her school sweater. She didn’t speak to me all night, but I saw her glancing at me. I was a pretty good bowler and put everyone else to shame. I guess I was feeling pretty good that night, because I asked her out when we were leaving. Mac bloodied my lip for that one, but the next week, she had tracked me down and I got a phone call from her one night. The rest was history.”
“And you knew how? From a look?”
“I just knew. There wasn’t a particular moment. We started dating and never stopped.” Cedric eyes glistened in the sun. Juliet thought if she didn’t change the subject, he might start crying.
“We should probably get these vegetables inside.” For once, it was Cedric who wanted to keep talking.
“You love him, don’t you?” It had been so long since Cedric took an interest in her life. It was what she had wanted for the past year, but she was hesitant to talk about Connor. Their history had been rough, but she thought maybe her father finally approved of him.
“Yeah. I think I do. And, Dad, I want to stay here. Deep inside, I think you know it’s the right thing to do.” It was a relief to tell her father. It also brought on a new pressure. She and Connor, whatever it was they had, it was real.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Epilogue
Three months later.
“Are you nervous?” asked Cedric. Juliet’s arm was hooked through his. From where they stood behind the house, they could see the garden. The plants were wilting away. It had been a hard three months, but they had managed to save enough vegetables to last through most of the winter. It would be canned goods after that. There were plans to finish the greenhouse in the coming months. Her father looked proud. He walked a little taller these days. Juliet had wondered if he would ever truly return to his old self, but over the past couple months, he finally seemed happy again.
“Why would I be nervous? This is supposed to be the best day of my life.” Juliet had a sunflower pinned to the side of her hair. It shone brightly in the sun. They had been granted a lovely day. The air smelled fresh and clean for once. Juliet inhaled it deep into her lungs. Over the course of three months, they had slowly picked off the zombies that roamed outside the walls. That was how Juliet knew today was going to be perfect: When she stood atop the lookout this morning, there was not a zombie in sight. She had waited to the last moment possible to pick the sunflower, carefully sneaking outside the gate into the nearby field. Juliet had stared at that sunflower with longing for weeks on end every time it was her turn to go on watch.
Winter would be coming soon. Allen said they were due a cold winter. It had been a while since they last had one. It would
be hard, but they had prepared. With Rus and Polly still living at the farm until the wall was cleared, they had managed to garden more and preserve more vegetables than ever before. There were also more mouths to feed than ever before. They would make do.
Cedric and Juliet turned the corner of the house and she saw Connor. He wore his dad’s old tuxedo. It was too small in certain areas, too tight around the chest; his ankles looked as if he were ready for the flood. Connor smiled a big toothy grin as Cedric escorted Juliet towards her future husband. They had brought out chairs from the house. Rus and Polly sat together holding hands, an empty seat beside them for Cedric. Rich, Marie, Phil, and Peggy sat across the aisle. Phil wrapped his arm around his mother. It had taken time, but Phil had made it through his depression. He had even started work on the greenhouse during one of his good days. Uncle Allen stood in front of Connor, an old Bible in his hands. Today, he would be marrying them.
Juliet felt everyone’s eyes on her as she walked, but she didn’t shy away. In the moment, she only had thoughts for Connor. Soon, they would be bound together forever. Maybe not in the legal sense, but the law didn’t exist anymore. They were bound in the heart. Juliet didn’t have a traditional wedding dress, but Polly had helped make something cute out of one of Peggy’s old dresses. Juliet felt radiant in the canary yellow, cut jagged beneath her knees. Cedric kissed her on the cheek and took his seat next to Polly.
Connor held Juliet’s hand as she stood in front of him. His palms were sweaty. He’s nervous. She almost laughed at how cute he was.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered, squeezing her hand. The warmth of his touch went straight to her heart.
“Dearly beloved,” began Allen, talking to the small group before him as if it were an auditorium full of people. His blue eyes were as piercing as Connor’s as he smiled at her. “We are gathered here today to witness the love between this young couple. It gives me hope that one day soon, even I will find a beautiful, much younger, woman to settle down with.” Rich and Marie groaned in the audience.
“Put a sock in it, old man,” Polly said under her breath and they all started laughing.
“On a serious note, what you have is special. Though you are young, you have found someone worthy of sharing a life with. That is a rare thing. Some people go their entire lives searching for someone they can share themselves with. You two found each other under the most unlikely of circumstances. Your meeting was like a lightning strike, and I hope you never take that for granted. You may read your vows.”
Connor pulled out a piece of paper from his breast pocket. His eyes were on the verge of tears before he even spoke. With shaking hands, he began to read. “Juliet, my love. It’s a crazy world out there. It’s full of so many things that want to destroy us, that want to tear us down. There is no one I would rather have by my side as we try to piece it all back together. I promise to always love you and to keep you safe. I promise to treat you as my equal in all things, and never forget how strong you are. I’ll never need to look over my shoulder when you have my back. I am a lucky man to share my life with you.”
Connor’s words touched her heart. From this day forward, they were partners in everything. Juliet had her vows memorized. She looked into Connor’s blue eyes and tears began to stream down her cheeks. “Connor, you are my rock, my mountain. For a long time, I wondered what this life held for me. I wondered if there was anything beyond death and survival in this world. Somehow, you found me at my most vulnerable and you took me in. Now, I know that there is so much left in this world. There is life, and there is family, and most importantly, there is you and the future.”
“Then by the power vested in me by you two and myself, I declare you married in the ways of men. You may kiss the bride.”
Cheers erupted from the small crowd when Connor took Juliet into his massive arms. He spun with her, pulling her tight as they twirled in the grass. He kissed her like he may never get another chance. Juliet could have stayed in that moment forever. It was beautiful and perfect and she would always have that kiss.
The group talked and danced and drank for the rest of the afternoon. For this one day, there was no work, no planning. Today, everything else could wait.
“May I have this dance?” It was Phil, his hand outstretched in waiting.
“Of course!” Phil had had his ups and downs since losing his hand, but as of late, he seemed to be his old self. Juliet felt the nub where his hand would have been resting on her hip.
“I never got a chance to say thank you,” he said as he gave her a spin, sending her dress tilting like a windmill. “It was so brave what you did for me. And the bad stuff that happened, I don’t blame you for any of it. I just want you to know that. I got taken because we let our guard down. I think if it hadn’t been for you, I might not have made it out alive.”
Juliet didn’t know how to respond. She had thought a lot about those two nights. She wondered if she could have acted sooner. If she could have saved Phil’s hand. Phil didn’t seem to expect an answer, so they danced a little more before she saw Connor approaching out of the corner of her eye.
“Mind if I cut in?” he asked.
“By all means.” Phil took a bow and joined Polly and Rus in the corner while they had a drink.
“Is it everything you hoped it would be?” Connor asked, his smile wide. He had been smiling every time she saw him today.
“It’s the best day of my life.” She knew it was true.
“Listen, there is something I want to talk to you about.” His face was serious and Juliet worried that the fun might be over.
“What is it?” she asked, worried.
A gentle smile guarded Connor’s face. “I was thinking, now that were are married, how would you like to start a family of our own?”
The question was a shock. Juliet had thought about it a great deal over the past few weeks, whether or not it would be possible to raise a child in this world. She already knew her answer, though.
“If they can do it.” She pointed in the direction of the church. “Then I think we’ve got a pretty good shot.”
About the Author
Lee Sutherland is half real person, half imagination.
You can follow Lee on Twitter at twitter.com/Lee__Sutherland or follow Lee's blog at leesutherlandauthor.wordpress.com for updates on new releases.
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