Page 125 of The Last Man on Earth
Vincent’s on tv.
My heart swells when I see him sitting in the studio in asuit, of all things. So handsome. Barbara, the CNN anchor, makes the introduction while pictures of Villain onstage flash on the screen. Then, the interview begins.
“I think the first thing the viewers would want to know is how you’re doing.”
“I’m…managing,” he says. “Some days are better than others. I’m just grateful to be here.”
Barbara nods sympathetically. “Two-hundred and sixty-eight days. It’s difficult to imagine.”
“Try living it.”
“Indeed. Can you tell us what it was like those first few days after the crash?”
A picture of the burnt plane flashes on the side of the screen.
He swallows and glances down. “It was…it was hell, honestly. We didn’t know if anybody was coming. I assumed there was probably a major search going on, but at that point, we were just trying to make it through the night.”
“And howdidyou make it? Food? Water? Shelter?”
“We got as much food off the plane as we could before it caught on fire. Water. First aid. That lasted us for a while, then I started fishing. Hunted a little bit. It was really just trial and error. I don’t think anybody trains for it. It’s just…raw survival.”
“That was quick thinking, taking the supplies off the plane.”
“It was. That was all Ari. Ana,” he adds quickly.
My nieces look back at me and smile.
“She was the flight attendant,” he continues. “She’s real smart. The kind of person you want with you in a crisis.”
“Yes. And can you—“
“She’s the reason I’m alive to talk about this.”
Barbara smiles. “There’s been a lot of curiosity about her. A lot of speculation. Can you clear anything up for us this evening?”
My heart hammers as I wait for them to put my picture onscreen, but they don't. Vincent must have insisted.
Thank God.
“Like I said, she’s the reason I’m here. She…” he trails off, his lips curving into a smile. “She kept me alive in every way a person can.”
This time my smiling mother turns to look at me, but I ignore her.
“Villain, if you don’t mind me asking, your fiancée Shemari Foster has been very public in her support since your return. What was it like to see your bride-to-be again?”
I stiffen as a picture of them appears onscreen.
Daddy glances at me.
“Shemari…has been supportive. As you know, we share a child together. Shout out to JR. Love you baby boy.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Yeah. It was good to get back to him.”
“Is it safe to say the wedding is still on?”
He shifts in his seat, and my heart pounds. “It is…notsafe to say that, actually. I’m no longer with Shemari romantically, but she’s an amazing mother, and we continue to coparent our son together. He’s our priority.”
