New Year, New Legacy Chapter 1-A NYE Party

       

      Amelia

                “Mom, are you sure you don’t want me to come earlier to help you with the party this weekend?” I ask over the phone. My parents, both near retirement, had planned to throw a huge soiree in honor of one of their most significant life events. I had no idea why they chose New Years’ Eve; though, they have chosen this holiday quite a bit when it came to celebrating themselves. My parents are the Marks’… Vincent and Madeline Marks to exact. Both are CEOs of major pharmaceutical companies. My mother owns a significant share of PharmaCo, a company she has run for more than twenty years. At one time, my father was part owner and CEO of PharmaCo but when offered a global position at another pharmaceutical company, he decided to pass it on to my mom. They were finally giving that opportunity to the next generation, so that they could spend the last half of their lives in marital bliss (my mother’s words, not mine).

     “No, I don’t. I’ve been planning parties for years. It’s no big deal! That’s why it’s great to have money…you can hire people to do things for you.”

     “Oh my God, Mom…” I laugh as she giggles at my embarrassment.

      “For someone who grew up in a billionaire household, you are the most modest of the brood” she responds. My mother was right. I enjoyed a few of the finer things from time to time as my parents were billionaires, but when I went to college, I learned that I was extremely fortunate unlike many of my classmates. The realization encouraged me to be more modest than my two brothers, who took absolute advantage of every luxury they could. I wanted to earn it, they were ready to plow through any trust and inheritance they could without my father hemming both of them up by the neck, threatening to take them out of his will.

     “Oh, come on, Mom. It builds character.” She scoffs.

     “I guess you’re right. Just don’t scold your dad and me too much for this party. It’s our retirement, damn it, we deserve it.”

    “You can serve all the Dom Perignon and expensive hors d’oeuvres your heart desires. I promise I won’t be watching your wallets.” She chuckles.

     “You’ll have fun. By the way, is Jared….?” She asks with interest. I knew that was coming. Jared and I had been college sweethearts. After graduation, he wanted to flock away to Paris for a year and sow his wild oats, I wanted to get to work in my mom’s company. Surprisingly, he came back two months later on his knees, begging me to forgive him for leaving. I love Jared, but I definitely need him to get on the same page as me. I’m ready to start my life, he’s still loafing around.

     “He’s coming, but he will be staying at his parents’ house until the night of the party…if you don’t mind him spending the night with me at the house New Years’.” I blush a little bit. My parents, much to my absolute embarrassment, had been disgustingly affectionate my whole life. She was open and honest with me when it came to matters of intimacy but I still couldn’t fathom having a down-home true conversation about men and sex.

     “Why would I mind? You’re an adult and so is he.”

      “I don’t think you’d mind as much as Dad.”

      “I promise, your dad will be extremely preoccupied that night, Love.” Well, I definitely know what that means.

      “Mom, please.”

     “Sooner or later, you’re gonna stop this embarrassment. You’re twenty-three. Who are you going to talk to besides your mother?” I could think of many other people I’d rather have this conversation with than her, but I don’t dash her hopes of this so-called Mother/daughter friendship that she fantasizes about.

     “I just haven’t reached that stage yet, Mom. Maybe one day, say in about fifteen years, I’ll be ready to discuss sex with you.” She laughs again.

     “Whatever you say. Well, I’ll let you get back to work. Make sure you close out all of the communications for the end of the year, oh, and did you send cards to our clients?” She asks, suddenly reverting to the businesswoman I always knew. Once I graduated college, my mother immediately hired me as an intern in the Communications Department. I had impressed the Chief Communications’ Officer so much that she immediately asked my mother’s permission to hire me in the New York office. I’ve been a Public Relations Specialist since then.

     “Of course, and the press releases are ready with news of your retirement as well as the announcement of the CEO selection.”

     “Perfect. I’ll see you Thursday evening?”

     “Flight comes in at eight…” I remind her.

     “Good, I’ll have Casey come pick you up.” Casey was my mom’s security detail. Though I liked her, I really thought it was somewhat self-serving to have her go out of her way to pick me up at the airport.  

     “Can’t I just do rideshare?”

      “Amelia…”she’s reached the end of her rope with me.

      “Okay, fine. I’ll forward the flight itinerary.”

      “Thank you, and no more fighting about money. At the very least just try to enjoy the money that your dad and I worked so hard for. Especially since we are retiring. We did this for you, for our family. Relax and enjoy it!” I sigh. It wasn’t like it was such a crazy request. Most people would love to spend hundreds of thousands of their parents’ dollars without consequence. I decide to give my mom a peace of mind.

      “No fighting about money…” I whisper.

       “Love you!”

       “Love you too, Mom.” I hang up and shake my head. She had a point. I was so rebellious in college that sometimes I would refuse to associate myself with the company name. I didn’t want anyone thinking I was a spoiled brat who got her life handed to her. I wanted to be known for my own smarts, innovation and money…not my parents’. They understood for the most part, but now that I have a significant position in the company, I guess I can stop trying so hard to prove that I can do things for myself. Who knows? Maybe that will be my New Years’ Resolution.

Andrew

     Sasha giggles as I come up for air after pleasuring her with my tongue for a few hours.

     “You are supposed to be working!” She exclaims breathlessly. She was technically right, I was supposed to be working from home, but it was the holiday season and there wasn’t much to do when you work for a pharmaceutical company. Why not give my fiancée a little afternoon delight?

     Sasha and I have known each other since high school. Amelia hated that I crushed on her cheerleading teammate. We dated off and on while I was in college as I wasn’t the most faithful (hey, I’m a man, what can I say?). After realizing that I was about to lose her, I proposed at my college graduation party, realizing that I would never find anyone I loved more than her. I’ve been wining, dining and sexing her nonstop since then. Since she’s a teacher, I told her to pack her bags and stay with me while she was out for the holidays. I’ve been distracted for a week now. Suddenly, my thoughts are interrupted by the urgent ringtone coming from the nightstand. It has to be my mother. I hop off the bed, and answer it quickly, preparing to be cursed to eternity for not chaining myself to the computer.

                “Mom?” I answer anxiously.

              “You know, when I said you could work from home, I meant you needed to be available to answer emails…” she scolds.

              “Sorry, Mom…I got, uh…preoccupied.”

              “Preoccupied is right. I hope you’re using protection…” she scoffs. I slap my palm to my face.

              “Mom!” I whine. I hated when she pointed out my sex life.

               “I’m just saying…you’ve got a good six months until your wedding. Let’s not make it a shotgun one, okay?”

               “I hear you, now what was the email about?”

               “I need you to tie up some loose ends before you take leave on Wednesday. Just make sure that the year-end reports have been proofed by accounting.” Like my mother, I was strong in the numbers game. Though I was still a newbie, she brought me into the accounting department, citing that when she and Dad retired, I needed to be ready to step up to the plate and make sure that they kept turning a profit. I was almost afraid that she was going to leave the whole thing to me, which I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

                “I got you, Mom. You know that.”

                 “I know you do. I just have to pull you out of that love coma you’re in.”

                 “It doesn’t distract me one bit.”

              “If you say so…” she answers with eternal skepticism.

              “It’ll be done, I promise.”

              “I trust you, son. I love you.”

              “Love you too, Mom.” I hang up and plop down on the bed.

              “Are you in trouble?” Sasha asks, worried.

              “Of course not. Mom just likes to keep tabs on me because she knows you’re here.”

              “Maybe I should have waited until you got done with everything on Wednesday…”she says slowly.

              “Bullshit. We’re about to be married. I’m gonna have to learn to work with you in the house.”

               “Do you think…that it’s gonna be you?” She asks. I know exactly what she’s talking about. Everyone, including my own siblings speculated that I was going to be the primary shareholder of the company. Why they didn’t consider themselves remains to be seen.

                “Honestly, I don’t know. At least they didn’t make any of us CEO. What do any of us know about running a whole company?”

                “Well, yeah, but they still need a shareholder that will own most of the company.”

                 “I figure it’ll be Amelia. She’s the hardest worker and I swear that girl lives to work.”

                  “But Amelia loves PR. I think she’d rather do that than have ownership.”

                  “Could be Aidan…” I suggest. Sasha scoffs.

                  “Your brother belongs in the lab, improving all of the technology. I know it’s you.” I sigh.

                   “I’m not ready for that yet, Sasha.”  

                   “Who says you aren’t? Why would your mom have you touring all of the branches if that was the case?” I sigh, knowing this is the one I will not be winning.

                   “Can we table this for now?” I ask.

                    “Already doing that business talk…”she teases.

                    “Speaking of business, she also said something else…” I look into her eyes.

                    “Oh?” She inquires, sitting up a little straighter.

                     “She said we don’t need a shotgun wedding…” Sasha looks insulted.

                     “From career woman to career woman, she should know better.”

                     “Well, nothing’s a hundred percent…” She huffs.

                      “What do you want to do about it, then? You want to actually abstain like you promised my dad you would?” She crosses her arms.

                       “Hell, no. I guess we should just be more careful…especially if they do give me this company, you know?” She takes a deep breath.

    “I’ll keep track of everything, don’t worry. I won’t ruin your potential new responsibility.” She sounds angry.

     “Look, I’m not trying to fight with you, I just think that she’s right. Let’s just be more careful, alright?”

      “I’m not the one blowing off work to hit the bed five or six times a day.”

      “I know, I know. I play a big part in this. I can’t help it sometimes, you know? You’re my girl. I love you. I crave making love to you.” She chuckles and brings her face close to mine.

       “Then maybe you need to go on a diet…”she whispers.

        “We’ll figure it out.” I kiss her gently.

Aidan

     “Damn, son, it amazes me what you can do with technology. I guess all those hours of video games weren’t a waste of time after all” Dad muses as he looks at the new computer model I created. I smile with pride. I was born to work with computers. From a very young age, I would take computers apart and build them into better, faster processors. Of course, that also got me into trouble as I would frequently sneak my siblings’ computers to experiment.  

                “Thanks, Dad. Maybe this will help with the issue we have with the automated ventilators.”

               “I can’t argue with that. Your mom will be thrilled.” I nod as Dad sits down behind his desk.

                “Are you nervous?” I ask, taking my place across from him. He chuckles.

                “I was at first. God knows I’ve never been one to ever stop working, but I think it’s time. I’ve been grooming Julian for years. I know he’s ready for me to get the hell out of here.”

               “I mean, you didn’t really have to retire, did you?” I had an inkling that Dad wasn’t ready to retire. He had just approached his 60s, though you couldn’t really tell. He still ate well and worked out, making him look much younger than he was.

               “Your mother and I agreed to retire together. We’ve spent over twenty years building an empire. Now, it’s time to enjoy the harvest. Speaking of building…is there anyone you’re thinking of building with?” He raises his eyebrows at me. Leave it to Andrew to tell my business. I had been dating Lisa, who just happened to work in the HR department of our LA office. Yes, she’s older than me (five years to be exact), but she and I had so much in common.

             “Andrew couldn’t keep his mouth shut, could he?”

             “Why would you ever confide in your brother about anything? He tells more secrets than a gossip rag!” He laughs.

             “Well, if you promise me she won’t get into trouble…”

             “You better run that by your mother. That’s her company, her rules.” I huff. Who knows how Mom will react? As far as she’s concerned, I’m still her baby, and any woman who comes near me is trying to distract me from reaching my full potential.

              “Well, I’m the one that initiated everything, Dad. She shouldn’t be punished for that.”

           “I’m not the one you have to convince, Son. I was a young man once, whether you believe it or not. Your mother worked under me…in more ways than one.”

           “Dad!” I shake my head rapidly, trying to get his disgusting innuendo out of my head. He laughs loudly, knowing how uncomfortable it makes me when he jokes about sex. He acts like I didn’t have to sleep next to their bedroom for seventeen years. I knew how my parents were, though I really wish I could forget.

              “I’m sure your mother won’t mind, but this young lady is a little bit older than you, correct?” I nod slowly.

               “Did you invite her to the party?” He asks.

                “I did, but she can totally stay at a hotel…away from the house” I explain quickly.

                 “Nonsense! She can stay with us. Why have her fly all the way here to stay at a hotel? Besides, I’d like to get to know her if you think this is something that could be serious.” Could I be honest with him right now? I was ready to marry this girl.

                 “I think it’s pretty serious, Dad.” He leans back in his chair with a surprised gaze.

                  “You don’t say? Well, then I definitely think you need to have a conversation with your mother. You don’t want her to be left high and dry without a job. Take your mom to dinner tonight. Explain how you feel.” I really didn’t want to have this conversation with Mom alone.

                 “I think I’d prefer if both of you come.”

                 “You scared of your mom now?” He teases.

                 “No, but you know how she is about us.” He sighs.

                  “Make the reservations, then, but I’m only there for moral support. It’s you that have to do the convincing.”

                  “Deal.” He shakes his head at me then glances at his watch.

                  “You better get going if you’re gonna beat rush hour traffic” he tells me as he stands up, towering over me. Though both of us were over six feet, I still felt like I lived in his shadow. My dad has always been supportive, but I never thought I would ever be as good as he was at business, relationships or any other aspect of life. If he and mom were ready to retire, it meant I could potentially come out of the shadow and take my place as the main shareholder of PharmaCo. The thought scared the hell out of me.

                   “Don’t forget to make reservations. Take her someplace nice, order a bottle of wine. Remember, I’m there for moral support only.”

                “I’ve got it, Dad” I answer as I walk out of the office towards the parking garage. I know that before I say anything to my mother, I have to call Lisa. I pick up the phone, ready to get cursed to high heaven for even telling my brother in the first place. 

Midnight Dancer Chapter 1 (Preview!)

This is a preview from my newest book, Midnight Dancer. Release details coming soon! For now, enjoy the story and anticipate a page turner! 

 

Chapter 1

Raquel sits in horror as the two police officers stand at the door of her apartment, informing her that her mother was found murdered inside the club she owned.

“That damn club…” she whispers. She begged and pleaded for her mother to sell that place. Ever since her father passed, she had been adamant that it was time to sell it.

“Ma’am, we’ll need you to come down to the station and identify your mother’s body. Then we need to ask you a few questions.”

“Sure…just let me get my coat.” She takes her coat off a nearby chair and follows the officers out of the apartment. Suddenly, a stroke of panic hits her.

“My sister…she’s only sixteen years old…where is she?” Raquel asks the officer.

“Your sister is already at the police station. Your grandmother is with her.” Raquel sighs in relief.

“Oh…she’s not my grandmother…but she is a trusted friend of the family.” He had to be talking about Ms. Liz, the one who took care of the girls who danced at the club. Ms. Liz and her mom had been friends for decades. When Raquel’s father first bought the club, Ms. Liz’s husband was his silent partner. Even after he sold his share of the club back to her father, Ms. Liz stayed faithfully, citing that no one could take care of the girls like she could. She’d been a part of the family ever since then.  

After she tearfully identifies her mother’s body, Raquel asks if she can see her sister to which the detectives agree.

Kendra comes running out of the detective’s office and squeezes her sister tightly.

“Is it true?” she asks.

“It is. I’m sorry, Love.” Kendra begins to cry, holding her sister tightly. Raquel is at a loss. She had just finished her master’s in business and was planning on traveling overseas to take over a marketing position in Italy. How could she do that now? She was all her sister had.

After being questioned to high hell, Raquel takes her sister back to the house. She knew Kendra probably needed some normalcy.

She sits on the side of Kandra’s bed, trying to think of words to comfort the worried teenager.

“Are you gonna send me away?” Kandra asks.

“What? No! Why would I send you away?”

“Because…you’re going overseas. I can’t come with you.” Raquel chuckles.

“I absolutely will not leave you. Italy can wait; honey, you’re more important.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. I will try to make life as normal for you as possible. You’ve got a year and a half of school left and then it’s off to the Ballet Academy for you. I won’t leave until I know you’re okay on your own.” Kandra was an aspiring dancer who had already acquired a scholarship to one of the nation’s best classical ballet programs. Raquel would die before she took that opportunity away. Troubled with thoughts of the future, she suddenly longed for her mother’s arms around her. Their relationship had always been wonderful, her mom was her biggest cheerleader, and now she was gone. She knew that she had a long road ahead of her, and she was afraid.  

A few weeks later, Raquel and her sister sit in the office of their mother’s lawyer, James as he reads her will. Most of it was to be expected…except when it came to the club.

“‘Raquel, you’ve spent the better part of your adulthood persuading me to sell the club; however, even in death, I cannot let it go. I am leaving the club ownership to you, and your sister will become co-owner once she’s reached the age of twenty-one. Please don’t disappoint me.’” The lawyer reads.

“Of course she guilt trips me…even in death.”

“Quite the contrary, Raquel. Your mother handled the finances well and she already has trusted staff. She’s handing you a business that will practically run itself” James reminds her.

“I know, I know” She sighs, looking over at her baby sister.

“What do you want to do?” She asks Kandra.

“The money would put me through ballet school.”

“Mama already saved for that.”

“Well, then, you could make enough money and do whatever you want until I turn twenty-one.”

“And then what? You want to take over the club?”

“If you don’t want to.” Raquel sighs heavily, looking at the condemning eyes of James.

“Fine, I’ll take over the club, but I’ll still need you to handle the business until I can learn my way around it.”

“Of course, Raquel. Anything you need.” He slides a stack of papers towards her.

“What’s this?”

“Your mother planned for you to take over this club. These are the rosters of everyone she employs. You have two protective agents who will escort you to the club as well as to the bank to do your daily deposits.” She scoffs as she remembers the days of her mom carrying the previous evenings’ earnings to the bank escorted by her two faithfuls: Kenny and Tyrone. No one would dare even ask her a question when those two were around.

“Your mom also arranged for her transportation to be transferred to you: she said you can choose any car you want as long as it’s from Daniel’s dealership and it has to have tinted windows.”

“James…when did Mama plan all this?” Raquel’s heart jumps in her throat. Did her mom know she was about to be murdered? There was no way she just did this out of the blue. James puts his head down.

“For a couple months, she started to get paranoid because there was another club owner trying to buy her out. She wanted to protect the club at all costs, so she arranged for you to completely take over should anything happen to her.”

“Did you tell this to the police?”

“Of course.”

“Who was trying to buy her out?”

“Uh…Curtis Strozier.”

“That crook? He doesn’t even have half the money Mama does!” She grabs the stack of the papers off his desk in frustration.

“Raquel, I’m sure if Curtis was involved in your mother’s death, the police will find him and prosecute him. For now, I am here to protect you and the club…at all costs. So, I need you to make sure you hire staff you can trust.”

“I understand.”

“Good. You can go to the club as early as tomorrow. I’ve hired staff to clean up what the CSI team didn’t.” Kendra looks at Raquel with concern.

“Rocky? You okay?” she asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine. This is what Mama wants. I wouldn’t think about doing anything other than that.”

“Well, let’s get to business…” James says.

The next day, while Kendra is at school, Raquel decides to brave the club. Ms. Liz had assured her that everything had been cleaned up from that fateful night. The police had confiscated the surveillance tapes, but there were no leads yet. Raquel secretly wondered if whoever it was would come back and finish the job, but she couldn’t be worried. She had a business to run.

“Hi, Baby!” Ms. Liz greets her at the door.

“Hey, Ms. Liz. You ready to show me around?”

“Yes, indeed! And I got the girls together so you can meet them.” Raquel, dressed in an all white pantsuit, immediately feels underdressed as she walks in the vast club. The club, aptly named “The Tease,” was one of the only female-owned strip clubs in the state of Georgia. Her mother had revamped it when she took over, replacing the raunchiness with class. Plush black leather couches and modern bar tables and chairs stood ready for the rich male clientele that frequented the place.

Immediately, memories start to rush back. When she turned twenty-one, she would visit the club quite frequently, as her friends thought it was cool that her mom owned a strip club and wanted to see what all the hype was about. They were always given first-class treatment as well…free drinks all night, fun with the dancers when they were taking a break from their shifts, there were some good memories at this club, she couldn’t deny that.

“Rocky?” Ms. Liz interrupts her thoughts.

“Sorry, show me to the back.” Ms. Liz leads her to the dressing room which is already alive with loud talking and laughter. When they reach the back, there they are, six of the featured dancers for the club. They were all beautiful in their own way. One thing about her mother, she always knew how to choose girls who represented every type of beauty.

“Hey! Girls! Ladies!” Ms. Liz shouts as they step inside. The room grows quiet.

“This is your new boss, Raquel. She’s Ms. Fran’s daughter.”

“We know who she is, Ms. Liz” Joanna, one of the more seasoned dancers, says. Raquel smiles at the familiar face. Joanna had been around for quite a while.

“Welcome to The Tease, Baby. Your mama took good care of this place” Lisa, one of the other dancers says.

“I…um…don’t want to change the way things are. We’ll see how it goes for the next few months and we’ll make changes as necessary. I know you all loved my mom, and I intend to treat you the same way she did.” Raquel stutters through her nervousness.

“So, when are we re-opening? And we need some new girls, ‘cause some quit after that night happened” Joanna pips.

“Joanna! We can always talk about that later” Ms. Liz scolds.

“I’m just saying, you know we have hundreds of clients. We can’t please ‘em all.”

“I’ve already put up an ad and will start interviewing soon. We will re-open next weekend, hopefully with new girls, but I need you guys to support this. You are the engine of the business. I can’t do it without you.”

“We’ve got your back, Raquel” Lisa says. Raquel smiles at the sympathetic, kind faces. She’s suddenly aware of her mother’s spirit and finally begins to feel like this may be where she belongs.

After speaking with the girls, Raquel steps into her mother’s office. Her heart breaks again as she sees the décor, the CDs on the shelf next to the stereo system and the custom nameplate on the desk. Out of curiosity, she presses “play” on the stereo and the sultry voice of Anita Baker comes through the speakers.

“Mama…” she whispers, remembering how much her mother loved listening to Anita Baker as she drank her red wine spritzers.

“How am I gonna do this?” she asks, as tears roll down her face. She sits down at the desk, noticing that the computer is beeping. Out of curiosity she clicks to open it, knowing that her password was the same it had been since her father died. Surprisingly, a video pops up. She gasps as the face of her mother appears.
“Don’t be shocked. You know I prepared for this…” her mother says through the screen. Raquel puts her palm up to the computer, wishing she really could touch that sweet face.

“You’ll be alright, Kendra will be alright. I’m entrusting this to you because I know that you will make this place thrive in ways that I was too old to. Everything is set up for you to take ownership. You just do what you do best, and don’t let this place consume you. I still want you to have fun…find a man if you want to…” Raquel laughs, sniffling as tears continue to roll down her cheeks.

“But I want you and Kendra to make this place yours. I spent time and money to maintain the class, now you maintain the clientele. You were made for this Baby Girl. I believe in you.”

“I know, Mama.”

“And one more thing…keep Curtis Strozier’s ass out of your club! He’s bad news. Don’t let him talk you into a partnership or anything, you hear me? I love you, my dear sweet Rocky.” The video suddenly leaves the screen, and Raquel, knowing how her mother operated, would probably never see it again.

“You heard what she said, now let’s get to work…” Raquel says to herself, preparing to take one hell of a journey.

 

 

Chapter 6: A Quarantine New Year

 

A Quarantine New Year

It’s a few months after the vaccine trials have started, and a viable vaccination has finally been distributed. However, the dear families in our story are still under a mandatory quarantine. The vaccine is making progress, but not enough of the population has taken it to really make a difference. Everyone is grappling with the reality that the holiday season is not the same.

Jenni and Tony have stayed in the mountain cabin where they took refuge a few months ago with all of their friends. Everyone has gone their separate ways, leaving the couple and their children to create a new normal in the depths of the mountain. Life was fine for now, but Tony and Jenni knew their children were getting restless. With the New Year coming up, Jenni was desperate to give her family some normalcy.

Jenni pulls up her laptop to see if there was any way she could plan something with their friends for the New Year.

“What are you up to?” He asks with a smirk.

“Tony, do you think we can go to the city for New Years’ Eve?” She asks.

“Why in hell would you want to go there?”

“I was thinking maybe we could see if our friends wanted to celebrate New Years’ Eve.”

“New Years’ Eve? Why would we celebrate New Years’ Eve after the shitty year it’s been?”

“Something to make things normal, Tony.”

“Haven’t they said to avoid gathering with other people?” He asks.

“We’re vaccinated!” She argues.

“We also haven’t been that exposed to people. I’m not completely confident this stuff works.”

“I am.” He sighs at her defiant attitude but decides she’s right.

“I know you are. Well, hopefully there won’t be a snowstorm.” It had been awhile since there had been a big snowstorm, and rest assured, there would be one soon.

“Don’t talk one up!” Jenni scolds.

“Well, at any rate, I’ll still put on the snow tires. It’s time for them anyway.” He leaves out of the bedroom. Jenni shakes her head at her poor husband. He had once been the town’s mechanic who genuinely enjoyed working on cars back home. He had to leave all his projects behind, and she felt sorry for him. She spent her time convincing him to move to the city so that he could find work, but he wasn’t hearing it. He thought the risks were too great to move right now. So, she just let him work on the car they had to give him a little satisfaction.

As Tony works in the garage, he notices a door that he hasn’t looked in before. Curious, he stops what he’s doing to see if it will open. To his surprise, the door opens quite easily. It seems to be a storage closet, and he sifts through to see if he can find anything interesting. As he goes through the boxes, he notices some party decorations, some that are from the New Years’ before the crisis hit. Suddenly, he comes up with an idea. He takes the box of decorations and puts them in the family SUV…

Later that evening, Jenni peruses the pantry to find something to cook for dinner. To her disappointment, they are running extremely low on food. Great. One more thing to worry about. They never imagined that they would need 9 months’ worth of food. She wasn’t looking forward to letting Tony know. The grocery stores rationed food to a point that it was hard to shop for a family. Shaking her head, she pulls out a box of macaroni and cheese, planning to mix it with ground beef. Whatever works at this point…

As she cooks dinner, Tony comes into the kitchen and washes his hands. Taking a big breath, she turns around to face him.

“We’re gonna have to go grocery shopping soon…” She says, quietly.

“We’re almost out of food?” He asks. She nods sadly and he sighs.

“Well, I guess it was bound to happen. We fed eight people for a couple months. Maybe it is time to go to the city. The nearest town is probably wrecked. Let’s see if your idea for New Years’ Eve will work.” He smiles as her face lights up.

“Really?”

“Sure. Why not?” Jenni hugs him tightly.

“Easy! Easy! Save some of that for later…” Tony gives her a mischievous gaze. She swats him playfully, feeling excited and hopeful for the first time since before the pandemic started.

After dinner, Jenni sits at the kitchen table taking inventory of the food and noting what they need. It was going to be challenging with five people to feed, but she figured if she bought one of everything, they might have enough to last a few more months. Since the vaccine was making headway, she was confident that this might be over soon.

“Figuring it out?” Tony sits down across from her.

“Well, you know they have limits to everything. I’m just trying to make sure we have enough to last us.”

“Fair enough. Did you talk to anyone about your plans?” Jenni shakes her head.

“Not yet, I figure I’ll call them tomorrow.”

“Well, you better hurry. If we wait any longer, we might be stranded down there.”

“Would that be so bad?” Jenni eyes him lovingly.

“I don’t want to be stuck in the city.”

“Well, Tony, it’s not like we wouldn’t have a place to go. Deidre and Mark’s or Holly and Chase’s…”

“Still…I’d rather not depend on someone else to hoard us during a snowstorm.”

“Oh, Tony. You’re so proud…” Jenni sighs, getting up from the table.

“What do you mean, ‘proud’? I need to protect my family.”

“Tony! If this virus has taught you nothing else, you should know by now that we can’t do this alone!” Tony looks down. Yes, he was full of pride. He wanted to be the only protector and provider for his family. It was hard for him to accept help.

“Honey, sooner or later, we’re gonna have to do something different…we can’t do it by ourselves anymore.” Jenni places a hand on his shoulder before heading upstairs to the bedroom.

She was right. He knew she was right. It might take a long time for the officials to get this virus under control, and he would have to figure it out. Their savings were almost gone, and supplies were running low. A change would need to come and soon.

********************************************************************************

“Listen, I’ll be home shortly. In between dealing with this virus and the vaccination trials, I’m swamped…” Chase says over the phone.

“I understand” Holly sighs.

“I’ll be completely off New Years’ Eve. I promise I will make this all worth your while, Baby.” Holly chuckles.

“I know you will.”

“I love you…” He says with hesitation, worried that she might be angry with him.

“I love you too, Chase. I know you have to work. I’ll be here.”

“See you tonight.” He hangs up, leaving Holly alone with her thoughts.

 As thankful as she was to be with him, the long hours he was working wore on her. She was lonely in their big house and missed her friends. She was glad that the hospital at least gave him Christmas Eve and Christmas off. He spent most of that time making up for his time away which she absolutely didn’t mind. Nevertheless, she was ready for his work with the vaccination trials to be done so that he could work somewhat normal hours and they could work on being together. She’d sometimes wonder if she was too quick to move in with him. Just as she was about to sink into the abyss of her thoughts, her phone rings again. She answers it without looking at the Caller ID.

“Hello?” She answers.

“Holly!” She hears Jenni’s voice rings out. Holly breathes an audible sigh of relief at her friend’s voice.

“Jenni! It’s so good to hear from you! How are you? Is everything okay?”

“Yes! Everything is fine! How are you? Are you in a cocoon of ecstasy?” Holly laughs.

“Not exactly. Chase works a lot at the vaccination center, so I don’t see him much.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, honey. I’m sure once things calm down, you’ll get to spend more time together.” Holly scoffs at Jenni’s everlasting optimism.

“You know, I sometimes wonder if I made the right decision…”

“Aww, Holly. Give it time! We aren’t exactly in a normal situation here, you know? And I see how you feel about Chase. You don’t want to give it up just because times are rough right now.” Holly feels a tear roll down her cheek.

“It’s just…kinda lonely here. I miss being with my friends.”

“I miss you too, Holly. Which is why I was wondering how you would feel about hosting a get together for New Years’ Eve. We have to come to the city for groceries anyway. We figured we would visit you guys and spend some time with you. I’ve been feeling a little lonely as well.” Holly can barely contain her excitement.

“You and Tony and the kids?” She asks, hopefully.

“Well, yeah. I also thought it would be nice to invite Mark and Deidre. They probably need a change of scenery.”

“I’d love it! You guys can stay as long as you need!” Holly squeals. Jenni laughs.

“I’m trying to convince Tony that it’s time to move to the city. We’re running low…on everything.”

“Oh no! Do you need anything in the meantime? I could send money…”

“No, we’ll be fine. I have a feeling I can convince Tony to stay once we get there. After all, we’ve been married ten years. I can usually persuade him” Jenni laughs.

“Okay, well, I’m so excited!”  

“So am I, we’ll see you soon; probably a couple days before New Years’ Eve just in case we get a surprise snow storm.”

“We’ll be ready.”

“Take care of yourself, Holly. See you soon.” Jenni hangs up and Holly holds the phone to her heart in anticipation. She was so excited to see her friends again. She decides that this is going to be a reunion of the survivors of their small town and begins to make other phone calls.

Around nine in the evening, as Holly sits on the couch watching the latest news on the pandemic, she hears a car pull up in the driveway. Finally, Chase is home. She puts her glass down, waiting for him to walk through the door. She waits patiently for him to shed his scrubs in the foyer. At last, he makes an entrance, stripped down to his boxers. A light comes to face as he realizes she’s waited up for him.

“Hey…” He says with a smile.

“Hey…I ran you a bath upstairs.”

“Oh? That’s the best offer I’ve had all day.” He chuckles.

“It might not end there…” she hints as her eyes follow him up the stairs.

“I’m intrigued” he says as he heads to the bathroom. As soon as his figure disappears upstairs, she darts to the kitchen to make him his favorite drink and heats up his dinner in the microwave.

A half hour later, she hears his heavy footsteps descending the stairs and heading to the kitchen.

“Aw, thanks. This looks great. Did you eat already?”

“Guilty. You were working late.” He shrugs.

“Well, I’m assuming you’ll be having a drink with me?” He asks, hopefully.

“Of course!” She lifts her glass as he digs into his dinner.

“So, I have a proposition for you…” she says as he takes his last bite.

“Do you?” He looks up, taking a sip of the scotch she poured.

“What do you think about our friends coming over for New Years’ Eve.” He sets his glass down, gazing at her in seriousness.

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“We all got vaccinated, what’s the big deal?” He sighs. He did not want to disappoint Holly. He had been working so much that he knew she probably needed the company.

“How many people are we talking?”

“Well, just us, Jenni and her family, Deidre and Mark. Come on, Chase, it’s not that big of a crowd.” He thinks about it.

“Deidre’s been working in the vaccination center…” He points out.

“I know, but if they think she’s safe working while pregnant, don’t you think it would be safe for her to come here?” Chase considers it and looks into her bright, hopeful eyes.

“Okay, but everyone does temp checks, no exceptions.” A smile appears on her face.

“Really?”

“Who am I to take away a little bit of happiness in these crazy times? Let’s just be super cautious.” Holly lets out an excited yelp and grabs Chase in a big hug.

“Relax!” He laughs heartily before his phone rings.

“Hello?” He answers. Holly eyes him as he furrows his brow at the voice on the other end.

“You are absolutely sure?” His expression turns from seriousness to surprise.

“Well, then let’s get this done. We have a few days before the New Year. Let’s see if it’s worth looking into.” He hangs up, avoiding Holly’s curious stare.

“We may have a new development in the vaccine” he tells her.

“Really?”

“Yes, so…” He reaches for her hand across the table.

“I may be gone for a couple of days, but I’ll be back New Years’ Eve. Just make sure you do what I said to ensure everyone’s safety.” Holly nods.

“Do you have to go tonight?” He shakes his head.

“No, but I’ll have to go early in the morning.” Holly lowers her eyes.

“Hey…this may be it. The missing piece of the puzzle. How exciting would that be?” He whispers.

“You mean, it may be over if you’re right about this?” She asks. He nods slowly, feeling the first wave of hope since the vaccine trials started.

“If you’re gonna help make things better for us, then do what you need to do.” She squeezes his hand.

“I promise that if it is what I think it is, I’ll make you the happiest woman on this earth.” She giggles.

“In that case, I hope that’s what it is. You ready to go to bed?” She gazes into his deep brown eyes.

“Only if you are.” He takes her hand, leading her upstairs.

That night, even though he knows he needs the sleep, he holds Holly close to him. This was it, he could feel it, and he would finally be able to have a normal life with her. He wanted to give her everything she ever wanted, everything she needed. It would not be a fluke this time.

*****************************************************************************

Deidre enters her apartment, tired from being on her feet all day. Mark, in true form, already has her slippers at the door and dinner on the table.

“So sweet, thank you.” She smiles at him.

“How are you feeling?” He asks.

“Not too bad today. Thank goodness that morning sickness doesn’t last forever…well at least for me it didn’t.” She laughs. Deidre and Mark were expecting their first baby in April; however, she insisted that she continued to work at the vaccination center until then. She had been furloughed at the hospital from their hometown and knew they needed the money.

Luckily, Mark had been able to find a job as a private contractor, fixing and maintaining the medical transportation vehicles. Life was good…just a little tiring and lonely.

“I’m gonna hop in the shower, then we can eat, okay?” She touches his cheek. He nods as she heads to the bathroom to wash off the workday. She loved working with the kids in the vaccination trials. There wasn’t as much fear as when she worked in the hospital in their small town; although, she still missed her friends. She missed normal life, but she understood that there was an extreme possibility that things would never return to normal again. She sheds a few tears in the shower for the good times. For a minute, she closes her eyes, remembering the mild summer days with barbecues and festivals as well as the festive holiday seasons when there would be a party every weekend until the New Year.

Once she returns to the kitchen, she sees a plate of spaghetti at her spot. Smiling at Mark, she sits down, realizing her hunger.

“So…” Mark begins as they dig into their food.

“Yeah?” She looks up at him, slurping a noodle.

“Tony called me today.”

“Oh, yeah? What did he say?”

“The family is coming down for New Years’ Eve. They’re staying with Holly for the weekend. They want to have a little get together. Do you think you’d be game?” Her eyes light up.

“Really? I’d totally be game!” She exclaims. He chuckles.

“I figured you would be. I miss that big pain in the ass…” He says fondly.

“I miss Jenni and the kids.”

“It’s been different without having neighbors at every turn, you know?” He replies.

“It has been. I was just thinking about that. If it hadn’t been for this virus, we’d be partying it up.” He laughs.

“Not if it were the same circumstances.”

“Oh please! Pregnant or not, I still know how to have a good time. I never drank much anyway; it was always about the music, dancing and socializing.”

“I won’t argue that one. You were a party in yourself, girl.” They both chuckle.

“So, New Years’ Eve is it? I’ll be ready. I’m gonna cook my ass off.”

“Now, hold on, I need you to stay off your feet.”

“Oh, Mark. I’ve been a nurse for years. I know how much I can handle.”

“Well, yeah…but you’ve been a nurse for other people. It’s different. You’re having my baby now.” Nicole laughs loudly. Given his reaction when she first told him she was pregnant, his protective behavior was almost comical. She knew that he was excited but had initially been a little worried when he acted a little distant.

“Aww, look at you.”

“I know I acted like an ass in the beginning, but I’m glad that I was able to knock you up in the middle of a pandemic.”

“Mark!” She scolds.

“I kid, I kid…” He holds his hands up in concession.

“You are a trip.”

“It’s why you married me…” he grins. She shakes her head at her silly husband.

“Yeah, I guess that’s one of many reasons” she teases, grabbing his hand.

After dinner, the two watch the local news to see if there are any updates on the virus. Slowly but surely, news stations were starting to come back on TV, with confidence that the vaccine would work for those who decided to be brave enough to take it.

“And it looks like a big storm front is headed our way…possibly bringing up to 12 inches of snow for the New Year!” The weatherman exclaims. Deidre becomes worried, hoping that Jenni and her family will be able to make it down before then. Mark immediately decodes the expression on her face.

“Don’t stress, I’m sure that they’ll be here way before that happens” He assures her.

“You’re right…they’re both cautious, I’m sure they’ve seen the weather.”

“The good thing is we’ll be with close friends and won’t mind being snowed in if that’s a possibility.” Deidre smiles.

“You’re right. Better than being caught at the Robinsons like we were last year, right?” Mark laughs as he recalls the memory of the pair getting caught in a blizzard while they were partying for New Years’ last year. Suddenly, Deidre’s work phone begins to ring and her heart drops. Usually the only time they called her was if they were experiencing adverse effects from the vaccine in the children. With a trembling hand, she answers with a forced greeting.

“Deidre, it’s Ms. Wallace. Listen, you know I respect your time, but we have a big development happening at the vaccination center. We need as many on hand as we can get.”

“A…a good development or a bad one?” Deidre asks nervously.

“A very important one.” Deidre looks over at Mark who gazes at her in curiosity.

“What time do you need me?”

“First thing in the morning…probably around 6. It’ll be worth your while, I promise.”

“Sure, Mrs. Wallace. You can count on me.”

“Thanks, Doll. Get some rest.” Mrs. Wallace hangs up and Deidre meets her husband’s stare.

“There has been a development at the vaccination center…” she tells him.

“A development? Like….the vaccine doesn’t work or what?” He inquires.

“She just said it was important. I have to be there at 6 tomorrow morning.” Mark sighs.

“Do you think this is it? They’ve found the right fit?”

“I don’t know, but this sounds like the most promising thing since I started working there.”

“Well, if my woman is gonna be a part of a miracle, then I for damn sure want you to be front and center.” Deidre smiles, but her mind begins to race. Did they find a cure? Did they finally have enough immunity in the population? Were the children the cure? She had so many questions, but she hoped to God that this meant the beginning of the end of this horrible period.

“Come on, if you gotta be there at 6, there’s no point in trying to stay up late tonight.” Mark stands up, holding out his hand. A loving smile appears on Deidre’s face and she gladly takes his offer. He gently pulls her off the couch, circling his arm around her waist as they retreat up the stairs.  

****************************************************************************

Nicole and Brian are startled by a bright light outside their bedroom window.

“What the hell?” He quickly tries to adjust to the brightness.

“It looks like a helicopter!” Nicole exclaims.

“Why the hell would a helicopter be this close?” Brian thinks aloud as he quickly jumps into a pair of pajama bottoms.

Suddenly, they hear a banging at the door.

“Stay here! Give me my gun!” Brian orders. Nicole quickly retrieves the gun from the nightstand, handing it over.

Brian darts out of the bedroom just as Jack and the boys come out of theirs.

“Boys, stay back…” Jack warns as he and Brian quickly run down the stairs. The banging on the door becomes more insistent.

“Who is it?!” Brian yells.

“Homeland Security!” The voice on the other end answers. Brian and Jack look at each other in question before Jack swings open the door.

“What do you want?!” Jack yells.

“We need the boys…” The officer doesn’t miss a beat.

“The boys?!” Brian repeats.

“Yes, we need Dr. Harrison’s children. Where are they?”

“What’s this regarding?” Jack asks.

“It’s official, classified business.”

“Naw, man, hold up. You’re not taking the boys anywhere until I know where you’re taking them. They’re minors, I know their rights” Brian says, harshly. The officers look at each other in hesitation.

“Are you their legal guardian?”

“Yes, muthafucka, why else would we have them here?!” Brian begins to feel annoyance. What right did they have to come and take these kids?

“Well, you aren’t to share this information with anyone. Dr. Harrison had the missing key to cure this virus…it’s in their blood…both of them. We need to recreate the enzymes and we can’t do that without drawing blood. We promise we will bring them back in a day.”

“Say what, now?” Jack looks the agent square in the eye.

“You don’t actually expect us to believe that, do you?” Brian gives them a harsh stare.

Leslie, Cami, Dustin and Jake peek around the stairs to see what the noise is all about. As they listen to the conversation, Dustin’s eyes grow wide. He suddenly remembers the last day they saw their mom before she headed to the city for the last time.

“Boys, I’m gonna need you to do me a favor…” she said to them as they sat around the dinner table.

“What is it, Mom?” Dustin asked.

“I need to take a sample from each of you.”

“A sample of what?” asked Jake.

“Blood. I know that if I find the right enzymes, we can cure this virus.”

“Don’t we both have the same DNA? Why can’t you just take one sample?” Dustin inquired.

“Well, in theory, yes, but I want to compare both of them.”

“What’s in our blood that’s so special?” Jake looked at his mother intently.

“I don’t know yet, sweetie, but my research always starts at home. I need you two to do this for me, okay?” Her eyes plead with both boys. They both looked at each other and shrugged. They were happy to do anything for their mom, especially if it meant helping get rid of this virus.

Dustin slowly walks down the stairs, ignoring Cami and Leslie’s warnings. He approaches the agents, cautiously.

“Yo, Dustin, get back, man!” Brian says. Dustin doesn’t even acknowledge him.

“How did you know our mom took our blood?” He asks the agent.

“The researchers missed it because they were so invested in the vaccine…”the agent looks at the disbelieving stares as Nicole, Jake, Leslie and Cami make their way down.

“You see…whatever enzyme your blood has, son…it’s not for the vaccine…it’s for the cure. We need you two.” Dustin looks back at his friends and their parents, finally locking eyes with his brother who nods with hesitation.

“Fine. We’ll go.” He tells the agent.

“Dustin, are you sure, Baby?” Nicole asks with fear in her eyes.

“Maybe this is what Mom meant when she said we are the future.” Jake joins his brother, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe it was…”

Brian and Jake look at each other, both at a loss for words.

“Wait!” Leslie runs upstairs and comes back down, holding both of the boys’ coats.

“You might need these…” she says, looking at the thin t-shirts both are wearing. Nicole glares at the agents.

“You promise me that you will guard these boys…don’t let anything happen to them” she demands, a tear rolling down her cheek. She had promised Miranda that the boys would be taken care of, and there was no way in hell she would back out on that promise.

“Ma’am, I promise you. We will take care of them. They will be back as soon as we can draw their blood. We have to go now.” He gestures for the boys to follow him to the helicopter.

“Jake!” Leslie exclaims, running to him.

“Yeah?” He says, gazing into her eyes.

“Be careful, okay?” She whispers before pressing her lips to his. Surprised, Jake wraps his arms around her, swept up in the moment.

“Okay, you two, that’s enough” Brian scolds, taking his daughter’s hand and pulling her away.

“Take care, guys” Jake says, waving them off.

Everyone watches as the boys and agents board the two helicopters, not leaving until they have both disappeared into the night sky. Once the lights vanish, Nicole bursts into tears, burying her face in Brian’s shoulder.

“She did it…she did it…” she whispers in a shaky sob. Brian hooks his arm around her waist.

“Yeah, Baby…she did” he agrees.

“I’ve gotta get to the vaccination clinic…” Jack turns around, stepping quickly into the house. The others follow, filled with hopefulness for the first time since the tragedy of the virus.

*******************************************************************************

Jenni looks out of the window excitedly as Tony drives them further away from the isolation of the mountains towards civilization (or as close to civilization as they could get considering the circumstances). She was so happy to be out of that confining, lonely cabin for the first time in months. Before they left, they received word that restrictions were easing across the city. Businesses were starting to re-open with limited services, the hospital was being fumigated, and real estate was starting back up. There was even word that some new developments might be happening with treatment and the vaccine. There was a lot to be optimistic about. In her mind, she felt that she could convince Tony that it was time to make a fresh start in the city.

As they pull up to Holly and Chase’s house, the kids begin growing restless, unbuckling themselves before the car comes to a stop.

“Hey! Hey! Can I stop the car?” Tony yells to the back. The kids laugh at their dad’s grumpiness. Nothing could steal their joy as they had been cooped in the house forever and were ecstatic to see someone other than their parents.

“Hey guys!” Holly runs out of the massive house.

“Holly!” Jenni exclaims, hopping out of the car. They both hug each other as if they hadn’t been in the same space for years.

“I didn’t know Jenni was that tired of us…” Tony jokes as he hops out of the SUV.

“Oh, come here, you big lug!” Holly laughs, hugging him tightly. She gestures for them to come inside.

“I know I’m a little backwards, but…” Holly takes out a thermometer and aims it at everyone’s forehead. Everyone is in the clear.

“Well, you guys seem okay” she comments, looking carefully at each reading.  

“What do you need me to do? Cook? Clean? Make drinks?” Jenni asks enthusiastically.

“Calm down. Deidre’s cooking most of the appetizers. She insisted” Holly laughs in response.

“Well, we all love her cooking…” Tony comments. Jenni stares at him.

“Oh, so my cooking isn’t good?” She teases.

“Now, you know that wasn’t what I was saying.” Tony shakes his head. Suddenly, his phone rings and he notices it’s for a video call.

“Hey, I think it’s the kids, Jenni…” He pulls her over.

“Well, answer it…” she demands impatiently. He answers to see Cami and Leslie’s faces.

“Hey girls!” Jenni greets them cheerily. She was happy to see their faces. When they went to find their parents, she never thought she’d see them again. Now, they contacted her and Tony regularly, sometimes including their parents in the call.

“Hey! Happy New Year!” The two girls say.

“Happy almost New Year…” Tony corrects them.

“Tony, you always gotta be a jackass” They hear Brian’s voice in the background.

“Ah, shut-up. How are you guys? Where’s the boys?” The line falls silent.

“What’s wrong?” Jenni asks as she looks at their solemn faces.

“They…uh…took the boys” Brian explains.

“Took them?! Took them where?!” Jenni snatches the phone away from Tony.

“All I can say is medical research” Brian answers.

“Wait…” Holly plops down on the couch next to the couple.

“What kind of medical research?” Tony demands.

“That’s all I can say.”

“Is that why they called all of their staff in today?” Holly looks at the screen. Brian shrugs.

“They just promised to have them back by tonight. We’re holding them to that.” Jenni gasps.

“Miranda…” she whispers, “sweet, sweet Miranda…” tears begin to fall out of her eyes.

“What are you talking about, Jenni?” Tony stares at his wife who can barely contain her emotions.

“She did it didn’t she?” Jenni sobs. Brian looks through the screen with guilt. Holly comes to the realization herself and puts her hand over her heart.

“Okay, Brian, spill it. Now I have two emotional women over here.”

“Are you guys alone?” He asks. They all nod.

“Homeland security picked the boys up a couple nights ago. Said that the boys had an enzyme in their blood for the cure.”

“Holy shit!” Tony almost drops the phone. Jenni steadies him with her hand.

“So…this could be over?” Jenni squeaks.

“If their theory is right.”

“It’s right! I know it is!” Jenni sobs. She knew Miranda had sacrificed herself to find a cure and a vaccine for this virus. How on Earth would they ever repay that debt. Those boys were about to save the entire world.

“Oh my God!” Holly covers her mouth, muffling the cry that dares to escape.

“Let’s hope that the ladies know what they are talking about. Jack went to the vaccination center. Seems like every doctor and nurse in the city went to the vaccination center today” Brian comments.

“Okay, Daddy, you’ve had your turn, now we want to talk!” Leslie complains in the background. Everyone laughs at her insistence.

“We miss you kids” Tony tells her.

“We miss ya’ll too. I have faith we will all be together again soon” Leslie says.

“Ditto!” Cami exclaims.

“Well, take care of yourselves. Let us know when the boys get back. This might be the greatest damn news I’ve heard in a long time.” Tony smiles at the screen. After everyone waves good-bye, the room falls silent.

“This might finally be over…” Jenni whispers.

“I didn’t think it would be possible” Tony responds.

“It’s possible! Oh, Tony, this would be a good time to get our lives back. Please?” Jenni stares at him with pleading eyes.

“Get our lives back, how?”

“Find you a job here, I know Mark will help you. Let’s move here.”

“You want to leave the mountain?” Tony’s expression is one of disbelief.

“It’s time. Our town will never be what it was. At least here we have friends who love us, and a chance at a somewhat normal future. Come on, Babe. What do you say?” She grins at him. Tony considers it knowing that they would have to find a different way of navigating life soon. He sighs.

“Okay, Jenni. After the New Year, we will move to the city. I’ll…try to see if I can find work here. All I want is for you and the kids to be safe and happy.” Jenni hugs her husband tightly.

“We will be…” she whispers before giving him a smooch on the cheek.

“You guys!” Holly scolds, wiping a tear.

“Oh, don’t worry. I think your Knight in Shining Armor will have the same sentiment.” Tony winks at her.

“Okay, enough! Enough! Who wants a drink?” Jenni gets up, heading to the kitchen.

************************************************************************************

Everyone in the house is glued to the TV as the director of the CDC approaches the podium at 8 PM that night.

“Good evening. After so much sickness, peril, death and distress, I am happy to announce that there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Miranda Harrison, a researcher for our trusted pharmaceutical company discovered a blood enzyme that can destroy the NGE virus. We were able to find the source of those blood enzymes…” He holds his arm out, gesturing to someone behind the curtain. Both Dustin and Jake timidly walk onto the platform.

“Meet Dustin and Jake Harrison. These boys are twins; therefore, sharing a large percentage of DNA. Though we can’t explain how it happened, their blood houses a strange anomaly that fights off the NGE virus. Both boys have generously donated blood and platelets, which we will use to produce a viable treatment for those who have contracted the virus. The vaccination is still good; however, we now know we have a cure for this virus. It will be distributed as soon as the enzymes are recreated in the lab and tested on recent patients. Let’s give these two young men a hand for saving the world.” The room erupts in applause on the TV, but the living room is eerily silent as everyone absorbs the news.

“There’s a cure…” Nicole takes a breath.

“We’re gonna be okay. We’re gonna rebuild, and it will be even greater this time around” Brian answers. He looks at the two girls who are in just as much awe.

“You two will have a future…a bright one at that.” He smiles, and suddenly, all of the weight that had been on the occupants of that living room for the past nine months lifts.

“I don’t know about ya’ll, but I feel like having a party…” Brian gets up, turning on the stereo which is playing upbeat old school party music. Nicole hops up, running to the kitchen to retrieve the champagne they had saved for this day.

“Come on, girls!” Brian holds out both his hands to Leslie and Cami who gladly join him in his celebration dance. As they relax into the atmosphere, a key turns in the lock. Brian looks at the door in an abundance of caution but quickly realizes that it’s Jack and he has the boys with him. The girls squeal, tackling Dustin and Jake.

“You did it!” Leslie says.

“Nah, our mom did. We were just the participants” Dustin grins at everyone.

“Regardless, you are fucking heroes.” Brian raises a champagne glass to the boys. Nicole hands everyone a glass…even the kids because…well…it was the end of an incredibly difficult time. As everyone dances around the room, reveling in the idea of a second chance, they realize how incredibly grateful they were to have each other. They had been through it all…suffered all of the consequences of a pandemic, but they were able to survive, and that in itself, was something to celebrate.

*****************************************************************************

As everyone at Holly and Chase’s house watch the announcement from the CDC on TV, there is a knock on the door.

“You think that’s Mark and Deidre?” Jenni asks.

“Probably. I’ll get it” Holly scurries to the front door, surprised to only see Mark behind it.

“Hey, Mark! Welcome! Where’s Deidre?” Mark comes in, holding a crockpot and a few tin pans. Holly stops him at the door to take his temperature before he comes in any further.

“She’s still at work but told me she would just hitch a ride here with one of her co-workers…” Mark explains as he sits down the food.

“Hey, did you see the TV?” Tony asks, pointing at the press conference on the screen.

“No, what’s up?”

“They found a cure! Miranda’s boys have the cure in their blood!”

“Holy shit!” Mark gasps.

“It’ll be over in a few months!” Jenni exclaims. Mark, seeming to be full of emotion, looks around the room at the happy faces.

“Our baby will be alright…” He says quietly.

“Yes, they will!” Holly hugs him tightly.

As the adults begin to indulge in food and drinks, a vibe of relief encases the room…until Holly notices that it’s 11:30 and there’s been no word from Chase or Deidre. She begins to worry: did they celebrate too soon? Did something happen to one of them? Immediately, her energy plummets…her happiness replaced with paranoia.

“Hey, you okay?” Jenni touches her shoulder.

“They aren’t back yet…”

“They will be. They’re probably celebrating. You know how much healthcare workers have been through since this pandemic started.” Holly nods, still feeling the pit in her stomach. She hoped Chase and Deidre would be back soon.

The time ticks forward…11:50…it’s almost midnight and the snow is falling heavily outside.

“What if they got stuck in the snow?” Holly asks.

“We all came from the mountain. We know how to drive in the snow” Tony remarks. Holly nods, not exactly comforted by his words. She takes a sip of her drink praying they would make it back.

Just as the countdown to midnight begins, and Holly begins to drown in disappointment, everyone notices headlights outside the windows.

“Maybe that’s them?” Jenni suggests. Holly rushes to the door, opening it swiftly….and…there he is. As he steps out of the driver’s side, she notices that Deidre is with him. Finally, the doubt in her heart subsides. He smiles as he heads towards the front door. She meets him halfway, jumping in his arms.

“It’s freezing out here, you don’t have on a coat…” He laughs.

“I don’t care…” she whispers. He sets her on the ground, giving her a boyish grin.

“You didn’t think I’d miss tonight, did you?” He asks before taking her hand in his.

“I was unsure for a minute…” Suddenly, he falls to one knee in the powdery snow.

“Chase! Get up!” She hisses as the rest of the house takes interest in what is going on.

“Holly, I don’t even know the words…just know I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He reaches in his coat pocket, pulling out a small jewelry box.

“Chase…” Holly starts.

“Shhh…the only word I want to hear from you is a yes or no. Will you be my wife?” Holly looks back at the nosy party who have all migrated onto the front porch. She hesitates. Could she be married? Have a future with this man?

“Girl, if you don’t go on and say yes!” Deidre yells impatiently. Everyone laughs and Holly turns her attention back to Chase.

“Yes, Chase…yes.”

“For real?” He looks unsure.

“For real.” He laughs loudly taking her back in his arms. He had never been happier. All his life, he thought he could fill in the holes with his career, money, and possessions. Nothing, absolutely nothing could replace the feeling he had for the woman in his arms.

“Happy New Year!” Everyone shouts as Mark turns up the party music.

“Come on…” Holly leads him into the house where they are greeted with glasses of champagne in celebration of their engagement, the cure and the New Year.

The rooms in both houses are filled with warmth as everyone dances, drinks and loves on each other. As crazy, scary and sad as the year had been, they’d made it through: some with new love, some with renewed love, and some with love that never faltered.  Whatever the case, the personalities from that tiny town  that remain celebrated in those two houses and held hope for the future ahead.

Chapter 5: The New Normal

 

Everyone in the cabin watches on Jenni’s laptop as the new president of Plaza Pharmaceuticals announces that before her death, their dear friend and neighbor Miranda had figured out the formula for a vaccine. The trials had already been started in animals and were showing great success. Human test subjects would be next, and they needed volunteers of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds.

“Well, I won’t be doing that shit…” Tony interjects, shaking his head.

“Oh, Tony. You know Miranda was smart as hell. She probably tested it on herself!” Says Jenni.

“Uh-huh, and have you forgotten that she’s dead?”

“Maybe they worked out the kinks.”

“Whatever, I don’t trust it. They can test all the politicians and their families first.”

“Tony…” Mark scolds.

“I’m serious, man!”

“Don’t you think we should? I mean think about it…our town will never be the same after all the destruction. We’ve gotta do something. If for nothing else other than our kids. We need a vaccine to this virus” Jenni argues.  

Everyone looks at each other with trepidation as the link pops up to sign up for the vaccination trials.

“I’ll do it…”Holly whispers.

“So will I” Deidre declares.

“Ditto…” Jenni agrees, looking at Tony and Mark. Tony heaves a deep sigh, returning his wife’s gaze.

“Fine…” He concedes.

“Then it’s agreed?” Holly asks.

“Hell, alright…” Mark finally says.

Everyone takes out their phones, signing up for the vaccination trials.

“If I die from this, I’m haunting every single one of you…” Tony remarks, shaking his head.

“Think positive, Babe…” Jenni smiles.

“Well, it looks like we’ll have to go to the city to get the vaccination. We can’t bring anyone, who’ll watch the kids?” Holly asks.

“Well maybe Jenni and Tony can go first, then you, me and Mark” Deidre suggests.

“Why do we have to go first?” Tony demands.

“Or…however you want to do it, Tony. Me and Mark will go first, how about that?” Deidre sighs. Tony, sensing her annoyance gives a quick nod, not wanting to be jumped by the women he was overly outnumbered by.

The next day, everyone receives verification of their participation in the vaccination trials. They have approximately one week to travel to the city to begin the process. The group agrees that Deidre, Holly and Mark will go the next day and Tony, along with Jenni, will go the day after. As they discuss their plans, everyone seems to be uneasy about the looming trials.

“Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?” Jenni asks, quietly.

“Woman, after all that convincing you did yesterday, you’re backing out now?” Tony asks. She glares at him in annoyance.

“I guess I didn’t think it would happen so fast…”

“Look, I trust Miranda’s work. If she was close to the vaccine with her research, I’m damn sure her colleagues perfected it after she died” Holly answers.

“Miranda was a researcher before she ever stepped foot in an office. We went to school together, and she was so absorbed in chemistry. I’d be dumb if I believed she wasn’t close to creating that vaccine…” Deidre whispers.

“We all went to school with her…well, except you, Holly” Mark says.

“Still, do you really think she’d let us down now? Even in death?” Holly asks the group. They all gaze at one another.

“Nah, of course she wouldn’t. Those two boys meant the world to her. If anything, she was doing it to give them a chance to survive” Tony concedes.

“Well, then we should do it…for Miranda” Deidre asserts. Everyone nods in agreement, putting their anxiety to the side for the greater good.

Later that night, as they are drinking wine on the porch, Tony and Jenni stare into the abyss of the quiet lake.

“Fall weather is coming…” Jenni sighs.

“Can you believe this has been going on since the spring?” Tony asks. Jenni shakes her head.

“You know…I didn’t want to believe that a virus could essentially tear everything apart. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”

“Well, we were probably due for it. You have all these wack ass doctors trying to play God, and then they come up with something they can’t get rid of.” Jenni sighs at her husband’s statement.

“You’re right. There’s no telling how that virus escaped a lab.”

“We’re just going to have to adjust to this new normal. Until an actual vaccine comes through, we’ll have to try our best to survive.”

“Do you think our house is still standing?”

“Hard to say. If it is, we will still have to fix it up again.”

“Where are we gonna get the money for that?”

“We’ll survive, Jenni, we always do. We’ve been through this since we were kids.”

“Yeah, from the time you knocked me up” Jenni laughs. Tony joins in the laughter.

“I thought your pops was gonna kill me.”

“He almost did.”

“Well, all I had to do was agree to marry you…after you finished college.” Jenni smiles fondly.

“He wanted me to be a doctor so badly. I guess a hygienist was good enough considering I had to take maternity leave. Oh, how I miss that man.” She sighs. Jenni sinks into memories of her father, who had adored her from the beginning and did everything he could to make sure she had a good life. Now that there was such uncertainty in the world, she wished he was still there for her like he’d been so many times before.

“Yeah, I guess near the end he decided he would like me a little bit.”

“You shouldn’t have let him fool you. He loved you.” Tony scoffs.

“I’m serious! When I got pregnant, you made sure you immediately did what you had to do to support us. I’m forever grateful you didn’t leave me high and dry with a baby.”

“Now why would I have done that? I loved you then…I love you even more now.” Jenni turns her head, gazing at her husband.

“I love you too, you big ass teddy bear.” She giggles, taking his hand.

******************************************************************************

Mark watches as his wife makes devastated faces at the news coming from the other side of the conversation on her phone. Some of the nurses at the hospital were keeping her posted on the chaos in town. He was so glad that he finally got the skepticism out of his system. He thought it was all a political stunt, but apparently, this virus was destroying the world and everything in it.

Deidre hangs up her phone with a heavy sigh.

“What’s going on?” He inquires.

“Hospital’s been taken over by the state. We are officially on furlough.”

“What? But you have sick leave, tons of it!”

“It doesn’t matter. Mark, what are we gonna do about money?”

“We have savings…”

“Well, yeah, but who knows how long this furlough will go on? We might not even have a house anymore!” A stressed look crosses Deidre’s face. Mark sits down on the bed next to her.

“Deidre, we’ve lived together three years and you’ve never worried about this before. What’s going on? We always make it.” Deidre looks down.

“Deidre? Look at me” he orders. She takes a deep breath.

“Because, in seven months…there’s gonna be three of us.” Mark gives her a confused stare.

“What?”

“I thought I was, but wanted to confirm at the hospital. They put me into quarantine before I could get the results.”

“So? When did you get the results? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to say anything until I got the results, and I just got them now from Mary Lynne. She said she found the printout at the ER desk.”

“Still, why didn’t you tell me you were thinking this was a possibility? God!”

“What good would it have done?!”

“I sure as hell would have thought about things differently! And anyway, I thought we agreed that you were going to be on birth control until all this shit was over with?!” Deidre stands up angrily.

“You’re blaming me for something I can’t control?! You know it doesn’t always work 100%!” Mark huffs.

“Look, I’m sorry, but I didn’t think you would keep secrets from me like this. I’m not angry about you being pregnant…I’m angry because you kept it from me.” Mark gets up, afraid to look his wife in the eyes. How in the hell were they going to navigate this?

“I need some air…” He sighs, leaving out of the room.

Deidre puts her head in her hands. Did he ever once consider how she felt? She didn’t want to be pregnant during this outbreak. Now, she didn’t even have a choice. She plops back on the bed, hugging her pillows. Now more than ever she needed her husband, he couldn’t abandon her now. Her eyes begin to grow heavy as the weight of emotional exhaustion bears on her.

Mark opens the sliding doors leading to the deck. Overwhelmed, he takes a tattered pack of cigarettes, sliding one out into has hands. He had quit smoking when he and Deidre had gotten married, but he kept a spare pack for emergencies. This was definitely one. He knew that he wouldn’t stay mad at her long, he never did. He was more hurt than angry that she kept this from him. Taking a drag from his cigarette, Mark tries to come up with a solution. There had to be one…right?

*********************************************************************************

While sitting at the kitchen table, Holly notices her phone ringing. Wondering who could possibly call her, she answers it quickly.

“Hello?”

“Holly…” Chase’s tired voice rings out.

“Chase…I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“I’m okay…they flew me to the city to help with the vaccination trials. I…saw your name on the list. I was happy to see that you survived this.”

“Well…trying to anyway.”

“Listen, I want to ask you a question…” He says timidly.

“Yes?”

“Did you mean what you said? On the voicemail?” Holly takes in a deep breath. What was the point of lying to herself anymore?

“Yes, Chase. I meant what I said.” She hears him heave a sigh of relief.

“Will you come stay with me?”

“My friends are here with me at the cabin…I can’t just leave them.”

“Why not? I’m assuming you’re talking about your married friends. They have each other. What you don’t have is me, and I want you here.” Holly thinks for a minute, then without hesitation, she gives her answer.

“Yes, Chase. I’ll come stay with you.” Hell, at this point, what did she have to lose? And who knew if this vaccine was really going to work? She might as well have some sort of bliss.

“When are you coming for your appointment? I’ll be sure to bring the keys when I see you. They set me up in a house just outside of the city.”

“Tomorrow” Holly whispers in disbelief.

“I can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait to see you either.”

“Well, until tomorrow…good night, Holly.”

“Good night.” Holly hangs up before she changes her mind, but she knew she was doing the right thing. Why was she so afraid of it? All of a sudden, excitement begins to course through her veins. Maybe this time, she would find something that lasts.

As Holly, Deidre and Mark take the trip to the city, Deidre looks back at Holly with a sly smile.

“Are you excited?” She asks. Holly scoffs.

“About being poked and prodded? Not really.”

“No! I’m talking about moving in with your boo! I can’t believe you never told us you and Chase were getting it on!” Holly shakes her head with a laugh.

“And that’s the way we wanted it.”

“My question is if the pharmaceutical company hired him to work with the trials, why are they furloughing the nurse?” Mark asks angrily. Holly shrugs.

“Deidre, maybe you could get a job helping with the trials too” Holly suggests.

“That’s a hell of a commute” Mark says.

“Well, from what Chase says, they put you up somewhere outside the city.” Deidre looks over at Mark.

“That could be an option.”

“Well, I guess we could see.”

Once they arrive at the facility, they are immediately directed to separate examination rooms. Holly fills out the insane amount of paperwork that’s required to participate in the trials.

Just as she finishes up, she hears a knock on the door.

“Did you bring your bags?” She hears a familiar voice say. Looking up in absolute shock, she sees the tall figure she had missed for a month. He still looked the same. Even his tired, big brown eyes were still the same.

“I told you I was staying, didn’t I?” She smiles playfully, the chemistry between them brewing as if it were the first time all over again. He moves over to kiss her, gently taking her face in his hands.

“I missed you…” He whispers in her ear before kissing her again.

“I missed you too” she replies with a smile.

“Hold out your hand…” he commands. Holly obliges him, opening her hand slowly. Chase plants a single key in her palm.

“I’ll text you the address. Make yourself at home. I’ll be there at seven.”

“Okay.” She gives him one last smile before he slides out of the room.

After being tested, interrogated and finally injected with the vaccine, Mark and Deidre drive Holly to the address Chase sent to her.

“So, good news!” Deidre says to Holly.

“What’s that?” Holly asks.

“I will be able to get a job as a pediatric nurse for the children who will be test subjects, and since I took the vaccine, I’ll be able to start right away! And you were absolutely right…Mark and I will be moving here next week.”

“That’s great!” Holly exclaims as they pull up to the nice-sized house.

“Whoa. Doc is getting the royal treatment!” Mark observes.

“I hope ours is half as big is this one…” Deidre murmurs.

After Deidre and Mark have made sure that Holly is safely in the house, she walks around the spacious house in disbelief. She couldn’t believe she’d be staying here…with Chase. She never imagined she’d be here. She always thought that she was destined to be alone. Now, here she was. She didn’t have to beg for the love or affection, she didn’t even have to beg to move in. He just…wanted to be with her, and that was a hell of a change from her love life in the past.

She finally settles down on the brown leather couch with a glass of wine, reveling in the fact that it took a damn pandemic for her to realize she was loved. She promised herself she would enjoy every second, every minute, every hour and every day of this new life.

Dustin sits on the porch staring at the photo of his mom that he’d brought with him. She still lingered on his mind even though it had been a month since she died. It felt so lonely without her. Nicole was great and took good care of them, but no one would ever replace his mom. Suddenly, he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“Missing your mom?” Leslie asks, taking a seat next to him.

“A little.”

“I know. I’m sorry…but at least you know she died for something she believed in. She wanted to make sure that you and Jake had a future. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“How do you always know what to say?” Dustin smiles at her. She shrugs.

“My parents are lawyers.”

“Do you think your dad’s still out there?” Leslie sighs.

“I don’t know. So much has happened, and I think if he were alive, he would have tried to find us by now. I think it’s just gonna be us and my mom.” Dustin nods.

“Well…I guess that’s okay.”

“It will be…we are a family. We always have been. Hey, remember when we were little in the summertime and our parents would have cook-outs?” Leslie inquires.

“Yeah…remember that God-awful potato salad Kimmy’s mom used to bring?” They both laugh as Leslie takes his hand.

“Look, there’s nothing wrong with missing your mom, but you gotta remember the good times too and be hopeful that there will be more.”

 “What are you guys out here talking about?” Jake interrupts, startling both Leslie and Dustin.

“The good times…” Dustin says with a smile.

Later that evening everyone sits at the table savoring the southern fare Nicole spent most of the afternoon cooking.

“Ms. Nicole, I saw where they want people for the vaccine trials…I want to do it” Jake says, suddenly. Nicole looks up at him slowly as if she is having a hard time processing what he’s just said.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Jake…” she answers.

“Why not? Mom created it. She was close to getting it right…she would have wanted me to” Jake argues.

“Jake, I just don’t think it’s a good idea right now. Look, honey, we need to just focus on getting out of this situation the best way we know how. That’s what your mom would have wanted.” Jake huffs.

“I’m almost eighteen, I don’t need your permission anyway.”

“Jake!” Leslie scolds.

“You’re right, Jake. You are almost eighteen, and when you do turn eighteen, you can do whatever the hell you want. But for now, you are in my hands. Your mother made me swear nothing would happen to you and your brother. I intend to keep that promise.” Nicole glares at him with an expression that only a mother could give a child.

“You’re not being fair…” Jake answers.

“Fair or not, my mind is made up.” Jake and Nicole engage in a staring match until he finally gets up from the table in anger.

“You aren’t my mom, and you’ll never be. If I can find a way, I’m going.” He stalks up the stairs mumbling under his breath.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Nicole…” Dustin whispers apologetically.

“No need to be sorry for your brother, Dustin. I know you’re both still hurting. I also know that Jake is exactly like your mother. Won’t listen to anything.”

“You’re going to let him go?” Cami asks, fearfully.

“Oh! He can go, but he’ll have to find his own way there and back. I won’t participate in it…” She looks at the three teens.

“…And neither will any of you. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am” a chorus rings out from the three kids.

“Finish your dinner” she commands. They all eat in complete silence, wondering if there will be yet another crisis they’ll have to survive.

Later that night, Nicole sits on the side of her bed, her soul in turmoil. How was she going to keep these kids safe on her own? When she made this promise, she never knew she would be the only one to survive. She missed her husband desperately. They had vowed they would get out of this alive, only for him to be carted off the second they came to the city. She sighs as tears roll down her face.

Suddenly, she hears the female voice from the alarm alert that the front door is open. She leans her head back in frustration. What is it now? She grabs the small handgun on her nightstand and tiptoes down the stairs. Just as she approaches the foyer, two dark figures appear in front of her. Panicking, she fumbles across the wall for the light switch. Her eyes grow wide as she realizes who stand before her. It’s not real, it couldn’t be real…standing before her are her husband and Jack. Her eyes grow wide as if she’s seen a ghost.

“How…how did you…” she stutters, staring at the both of them who look pretty roughed up but not infected.

“We’re here, Baby” Brian says softly. She begins to hyperventilate, tears rolling down her face as her husband takes the gun from her shaking hands, laying it down on the side table. As soon as she feels his arms around her, she wails uncontrollably.

“Brian!” she yells through her tears.

“It’s me baby…I’m here….I’m here.” He squeezes her tightly. The two become so immersed in the moment that they don’t realize the stampede of footsteps coming down the stairs.

Cami stops in her tracks as she sees her father.

“Da…Dad?” She whispers.

“Cami…” He says with a tired smile as his daughter sprints into his arms.

“Daddy!” Cami sobs. She never thought she would be able to hug her dad every again, and now he was here. It all seemed like a dream.

After the tear-filled greetings, Nicole immediately warms up the leftovers from dinner, citing that both men looked like they hadn’t eaten in days.

“We thought you were dead!” Leslie says, sitting next to her father at the table.

“Well, we would have been. When they brought me to the hospital, they took my temp again and it was normal. I asked them to take me back to the office, but no one would take the risk.”

“Jack? How on earth…” Nicole starts.

“When things were starting to get bad at the hospital, I went outside to smoke what I thought would be my last cigar. I got locked out, no one was coming to the door and my ID badge wouldn’t work. So, after trying to get back in, I gave up. That’s when I ran into Brian.”

“Why didn’t you come back to the office?” Nicole asks.

“We couldn’t, Baby. We had to hide out from the asshole enforcers. They started to clear out once the vaccine trials started and knew it was our chance” Brian answers.

“By the time we got to your office, it was crawling with the infected. We figured you’d either died or ran off yourself.”

“How did you get here, though?” Cami inquires. Both men look at Cami.

“We walked, sweetheart.” Jack gazes at his daughter

“You walked? All the way here?” Nicole stares at them as they both nod.

“Where’s Miranda?” Jack asks. Everyone hangs their head in sorrow.

“She didn’t make it” Nicole says sadly.

“Damnit!” Jack responds. He looks at the two boys who seem happy they’re here but also sad that their mom wasn’t.

“We’ve got you, boys. We’ll take care of you” Brian declares. Suddenly, Jake begins to sob silently.

“Oh, Jake…” Cami takes him into her arms.

“We’ll be okay,” Dustin says quietly, “Mom made sure we would have a future.”

“Yes she did, Baby boy. Yes, she did” Nicole says, hugging him tightly.

As the days and weeks surrounding the vaccination trials go on, each family is accepting their new normal. Deidre and Mark were on the journey to a new beginning, taking advantage of opportunities that weren’t previously there. Holly and Chase, realizing the love they had for each other, were approaching a way of life that neither thought would ever be possible. Tony and Jenni held their kids close, thankful that they all were still alive and had each other. As for the kids, they gained strength through this obstacle, confident in their ability to approach the unknown and had three adults, who loved them dearly, guiding them every step of the way.