Page 76 of Princess

And we keep smiling as we catch our breath until I finally manage to roll out of bed so I can pee and clean up.

When I come back into the bedroom afterward, Grant is already asleep.

* * *

A month later, I’m swimming, my strokes slicing through cold freshwater. I can feel the sun on my back, and I can see through my goggles and the clear water to the bottom of the lake.

It’s a perfect lake for swimming. Deep enough but not creepily so—with no dark recesses that could hide lurking monsters. It’s fed by a large mountain stream, so the water doesn’t get stagnant. I’m used to swimming in neatly defined lanes and being surrounded by the smell and feel of chlorine, so swimming here will take some getting used to.

But it’s amazing. I still can’t believe Grant managed to find it.

I swam for an hour in our bunker pool this morning, so I don’t need to do a full workout right now. I swim back and forth a couple of times for fun, and then I heft myself back up onto the dock that Grant built last week out of reclaimed lumber, extending it far enough out onto the water so it would be safe for me to dive off.

The cabin is still a mess and will probably remain so for quite a while. We’ve started constructing some houses around the camp for those in our community who are getting tired of living underground. Grant and I agreed that, except for the dock he built, we’d leave the cabin as is for now so we could help with the community construction projects.

I don’t mind. I’m still happy in the bunker, and I plan to use the pool for as long as I can. The cabin is our home for the future, but it doesn’t have to be for right now.

I shake off some of the water and wring out my long, wet braid, grinning down at Mack. He was lounging on the dock when I dove in, and he hasn’t appeared to move.

But he now has an infant in his arms, and he’s cooing down at her.

“So you got called on for babysitting duty?” I ask, grabbing a towel to dry off more completely before I sit down beside him.

“Yep. Layne and Travis are taking a walk. That’s what they said.” Mack gives the baby his finger to grab onto. “But I suspect they mostly want to be alone for a while.”

Layne gave birth almost two weeks ago—a healthy baby girl they named Abigail. They decided to stay with us for a couple of months. Partly because of our medical resources. But also because there is such a large supply of enthusiastic babysitters around.

None of us have seen an infant in five years.

“It’s only been a couple of weeks since Layne gave birth,” I say, leaning over to smile down at Abigail. “I don’t think they’re going to be getting up to anything too exciting.”

Mack chuckles. “Didn’t mean that. I suspect they want to be alone to take a long nap.”

I laugh too and glance around to see what everyone else is up to. It’s an unseasonably warm day for autumn, and a bunch of us spontaneously decided to come out to the lake for a picnic.

It’s the first purely recreational activity we’ve done outside since lockdown. It feels like a miracle.

Some people are hanging out in the water. Others are sunbathing. And some are gathered in the shade and snacking on vegetables and deviled eggs.

The only person I don’t see is Grant, but I already know what he’s doing.

“You’re good with her,” I say, turning back to Mack.

“You think so? I always liked kids.”

“You should have some.”

“I want to, but I got to get a woman first.” He’s still smiling and relaxed. If his romantic situation bothers him, it doesn’t appear to make him miserable.

Because of this, I’m comfortable enough to say, “I thought you told me a while back you already have a woman but you haven’t convinced her yet.”

Mack glances up. “That’s true. Still working on it.”

“Where is she?”

He glances at his watch, which surprises me until I realize he’s looking at the date. I never think in calendar dates anymore. I barely keep track of days of the week. “Right now I guess she’s probably on her way back from the coast.”

“What? The coast! I didn’t think anyone went there anymore. Isn’t it all flooded out? I thought that’s what everyone says.”

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