Page 6 of Once Upon an Apocalypse

“Because…well, I don’t know. You could have told me! Both of you.” Sarah’s hands are back on her hips. She stares at me while Jonah rubs his sore arm.

“Call me a perv all you want, sis. But I love your best friend.” Jonah’s confession makes my chest flutter all over again.

“And I love your brother,” I say to Sarah.

Chapter 3

“I’msosorryIwon’t be here for prom night, honey,” my mom says as she packs for her long weekend trip. She was invited to speak at her alma mater and I couldn’t let her miss the chance all because of prom. Even though I’m bummed she won’t be here, I am so incredibly proud of my mom. I won’t let anything stop her from kicking ass.

“Don’t be silly, Mom. This is an amazing opportunity. You deserve the spotlight. And hey, maybe you’ll meet a sexy, single man who will sweep you off of your feet.”

My mom and dad met when they were in their twenties while on call for an emergency. One of the biggest, deadliest fires in Morris County. Mom was an EMT and Dad was a fireman. I honestly think Hayden was conceived that same night because whenever I hear the story, it ends with, “And less than a year later, your brother was born.”

After my dad died, my mom began working double shifts at the hospital to pay the bills. She still works her ass off and is two steps away from becoming the lead nurse. In no time, she will be running the entire hospital. I just know it.

“There will be no one else after your father. He was my one and only,” my mom says.

“I know. But…I worry about you. Once I graduate, you’ll be all alone here. And I’m not saying you need to find another man worthy of Dad’s shoes, just someone to warm your bed and cook you hot, delicious meals.”

“It’s not like I haven’t put myself out there. I’ve been on dates and hooked up in the supply room at the hospital during a late night shift. No one has ever really stuck though. But don’t worry about me. I will be okay here. And you’ll come to visit all the time. You won’t be far away.”

“Every weekend. Promise.” I hop onto her bed, avoiding the neatly folded clothes she is carefully packing into her suitcase.

“Well, not every weekend. You need to experience college. Sign-up for extracurricular activities, spend time with friends, sneak around with your boyfriend.” My mom cackles at my embarrassed gasp, slapping me playfully on the arm. “Are you excited for prom?”

“Yeah. I mean, I never thought I’d care this much. But I’m so freaking excited to see Jonah all dressed up. I can’t wait to get my nails and hair done.”

My mom pinches a few locks of my pin-straight coppery hair between her fingers. “You could show up to prom with knots the size of bird’s nests and you’d still have the most beautiful hair in the room.”

I know she is thinking of my dad as she continues to idly twirl my hair. I look a lot like him with my ginger hair, blue eyes, and fair, freckled skin. But he was a skyscraper of a man where I am a shack. Short and wobbly. The shortness I get from my mom. Hayden inherited the tall genes and my mom’s blonde hair.

“I miss him too.” I pull her into my arms as we silently sob into each other’s shoulders, still grieving, even after all these years. Grief never really leaves. It burrows itself deep inside, and when you think it’s gone, it pops back out and hits you in the gut. If my mom and I keep crying like this, we won’t get anything done tonight. So I push my grief back into the dark corner of my heart where it lives and squeeze my mom tight before letting her go.

“Please be careful, Mom. I’ve been hearing some crazy stories about people eating people because they are so high on some drug. It’s been happening a lot more recently. Jonah told me there were a few cases in Pennsylvania just this week. Please don’t get eaten.”

My mom chuckles at that. “I’ll be okay. It seems to be isolated. And I’m not so sure it’s drugs. We’ve gotten word at the hospital that there’s a new virus going around that affects the brain. Scary fucking shit.”

“What!” I stare at my mom, hoping she’ll start laughing, but she doesn’t. She’s serious.

“If anything, you will be around more potential drugged up and/or contagious kids at prom. So let’s promise each other to both be safe. Don’t share drinks or food with anyone who looks sick. And stay away from drugs.”

“Ew. I won’t ever touch that shit.” In fact, I’m one of those rare teens who doesn’t even want to experiment with alcohol. My dad is dead because of a drugged-up alcoholic, so naturally, I don’t go near that shit.

“So tell me what Jonah will be wearing. Did you pick out your outfits to match?” my mom asks.

“I haven’t seen what Jonah got, but he promised it will be the same color I’m wearing. Sarah is helping him, so I trust it will all work out.”

My mom is now staring at me with tears welling up in her eyes. “What, Mom? You’re not gonna eat me, are you?”

“Ha! No,” she laughs. “I’m just so happy for you. Young love. It’s a beautiful thing. I don’t want to ruin your outlook on love, but I need to be real with you for a moment.”

My mom closes up her suitcase and pulls it down from her bed, then hops up on the spot where it had been splayed open and wraps her arm around my shoulder. “I know you really love Jonah and his feelings for you are just as strong. But you two are young. He might not be your one and only. So please do me a favor and do not force it if it’s not meant to be forever.”

My mom’s words are like a blow to my stomach. Jonah is my forever. That’s that. There is no one else for me. As if sensing my train of thought, my mom says, “I know you think Jonah is your only chance at love. Maybe he is. Before your father, I thought I found my true love twice. Both relationships ended in flames. And one of them was a good friend of mine before we started dating. I’m not saying every friends-to-lovers scenario is the same. Just promise me you won’t lock yourself into a relationship at the age of eighteen.”

I take a moment to think about what my mom said, even though my heart has already decided. Jonah is my lifelong journey. My end game. I feel it in my bones. But I nod my head in silent agreement. “Can you make the same promise? Don’t give up on finding love again?”

“Yes. That’s more than fair.” My mom presses her lips to my forehead before pulling me into a vice-grip hug. We lie back on the bed and fall asleep with unshed tears in our eyes.

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