e happy together. Life as a whole was good…until she slept.
Sliding out of the bed, she walked naked to the window and laid her hands on the warm glass. Down in the street, Lloyd was staring up at her. His torn face was twisted into a deadly smile.
Jenni took a deep breath, then let it slip from between her full lips.
She reached deep down inside and pulled on her strength and love.
Her anger was useless against Lloyd.
“Lloyd,” she whispered.
Come die with us,.
“You are not the beginning or the end of me. ”
His smile faded.
“I'll die when I choose. And I know one thing for sure, I'm not going where you are. ”
His smile disappeared.
“Fuck you, Lloyd. I don't need you to be afraid of anymore. You're not the biggest or the baddest monster in my world. ” Jenni flipped him off and turned away from the window.
There were worse things in this world to fear than the stupid ghost of her dead, asshole husband, and there were wonderful things to enjoy and love. Jenni didn't have the patience to be afraid anymore and ruin her new life.
Sliding into the bed, she ran her hand over Juan's chest. He stirred slightly. Taking her hand, he drew her into his arms and she settled down against his body.
“What's wrong?” he asked.
Jenni slung her arm over his waist and draped one leg over his.
“Nothing,” she answered truthfully. “It just took me awhile to figure that out. ”
Juan was too sleepy to understand so he just kissed her forehead.
When Jenni fell asleep, she wasn't afraid anymore. She wouldn't give Lloyd anymore of her life.
She was done with him.
3. The Time of Beginnings
Katie stared at the little stick, squinting in disbelief. She checked the box again, then sat back on the edge of the bathtub and exhaled slowly.
Despite all the insanity of their life, despite the dead world, despite all the terror, this was a choice they had made together. They had decided to live a new life and embrace it fully. In their strangely accelerated world where there was really no time to mourn, but only time to fight to live, this had been a distinct possibility they had embraced.
“Travis!” She pulled the rayon robe tighter around her body and held the stick in one hand as she crossed her legs.
The door opened and he peered in at her. He must have fallen asleep while she showered. He looked a little bleary-eyed. He was clad in his pajama bottoms only and his hair was mussed.
She held up her announcement and he padded into the bathroom to squint at it. It took a few seconds for it to register in his mind.
“For real?”
Katie lifted her eyebrows and nodded. “Oh, yeah. ”
Travis let out a wild laugh and dragged her to her feet. “Amazing!”
Katie began to laugh and tossed the stick into the trash. “Yeah! We are! We've just made our life a helluvalot more complicated. ”