What Survives of Us (Colorado Chapters Book 1) Read Free Page B

I’ll see how my big project is going and let you know.”  Piper was majoring in Sociology, and loved everything about her course of study.  People fascinated her.  “Hey, big excitement down your way tonight, huh?”
    “What do you mean?”  But Naomi knew.  She knew.  A cold fist of fear tightened in her chest.
    “That Safeway we always shop at, on Nevada – you didn’t hear about that woman dying, and the officials quarantining the place?  Oh, yeah.”  Piper’s lips twitched in a sneer she didn’t bother to hide.  “No media on a weeknight.”
    “They quarantined the store?”  Naomi didn’t realize she had clutched Ares to her chest until he let out a snarky meow and struggled to get down.  “Why?  Did they say why?”
    “I told you – a woman died.  Must have been some kind of terrible disease – they’ve called in the CDC and CNN says they’ve got the National Guard on alert just in case.”
    “In case what?  Why would they need the National Guard?”  Lord, should she have stayed?  Had she brought home some sort of contagion, endangered her family?  She was nearly panting, and could hear hysteria pushing through in her voice.  Piper frowned, and Macy looked up from across the table, small face wrinkled in concern.
    “What’s wrong, Mama?”
    “Yeah, geez, take it easy, mom.  I’m sure they’ll get the whole nasty mess all cleaned up before double coupon Tuesday.”
    Naomi took a big breath, held it for a moment, then exhaled the hurt Piper’s snotty tone had lodged in her heart.  She tilted her head to the side, and examined her daughter’s delicate face, that darling, tilted nose Piper hated – too cutsey – the waterfall of fine, straight blonde hair she’d inherited from her mother – hot pink streaks this week, Naomi rather liked them – and her father’s green as moss eyes.
    “You’re so pretty.”  Piper hadn’t tolerated compliments on her beauty since she was 15, claiming she intended to use her brains, not her looks, to achieve her goals.  For once, Naomi didn’t care about inciting her daughter’s wrath.  “I know you don’t like it when I say that, but you are.  And as beautiful as you are, you’re 100 times as smart.  I love you, honey.”
    Macy, bless her sensitive little heart, chose that exact moment to drape herself over her mother’s shoulders and beam at her sister.  “I think you’re pretty too, Piper.”  Her smile took on a crafty slant.  “Will you bring me a present?  When you come for Easter?  Pleeeaaaaase?”
    Piper’s face was soft.  “We’ll see, bitty bean.  I’ll do my best.”  Her face stayed tender as she met her mother’s eyes, and Naomi’s chest ached with warmth, delight, love at the rare softness from her daughter.  “I love you too, mom.  Have a good night.”
                  In the years that would follow, Naomi would take this moment out and cradle it close, savoring it as a perfect moment, a gift, something she recognized as precious even as it was happening.  Her baby girl, gentle little arms wrapped around her neck, soft silky cheek pressed to hers.  And a warm smile from her beautiful warrior daughter, a young woman so full of strength and power, eager to take her place in a world about to change forever.
     

TWO: Colorado: The Next Day
     
    Naomi followed the scent of coffee into the kitchen the next morning, and found Scott leaning on the counter, frowning.  He was watching the tiny TV he had mounted under the counter for her a few years back, and she felt again that awful sense of knowing what was coming before he spoke.  Instead of getting herself a cup of coffee, she sat down at the kitchen table, suddenly cold.
    “Look at this, hon.” He gestured with his coffee mug.  “It’s all over the news, local and national.  That Safeway you shop at all the time has been quarantined.”  He shook his head, took a sip.  “That’s too close to home.  You could have been