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.