7
Jessa couldn’t help but blush. She had never heard of such a request and though she understood it in some ways, she was starting to think that the people that saved her son were a bit mad. They wanted her to mate, their words, with one of their males. She apparently got to choose which one. The men had no women in their clan to carry on their lineage and wanted to spread it out in hopes of it attaching. The few women that were with them were unable to give birth and she had already refused the idea of joining them.
Shane had mixed feelings. He didn’t know about the requests, but he had overheard the idea of staying. He wanted to stay in some ways, but was more interested in finding and reuniting with Milo and Michael. When it was clear that she wouldn’t stay, they asked if she would consider mating with one of their own. It was a way to give them hope of their family’s survival, but it put Jessa in a very strange position. She felt like she owed them something, but what they wanted was just too much. There was no way that she could do that, right?
Shaking her head, one last time, she tried not to glance at the eager men that seemed more than willing to change her mind. It wouldn’t be hard, her body responding to the virile men. “I wish I could Melinda, believe me I do. But I am with someone now and I’m waiting for him to come back.”
“I can understand that. We don’t see many children here. The city is void of anything good anymore.”
Jessa wanted to ask them why they stayed in the city where everything was worse. Radiation played a part in why so many of the women were unable to give birth to healthy children anymore, but staying in the hot zones only made it worse.
“Sometimes I wish we could leave this place, but we were called here to do our work. We are here to help people and the sickness is a price that we have to pay.”
Jessa nodded, but was still under the impression that there may in fact be some screws loose. There was no way that she was staying, even if she was called to help. Her responsibilities were only for her son. The rest of the world could fend for themselves as far as she was concerned. Trying to give them the ration bars and dried food that she found, Melinda refused it. “We have everything we need here and will be provided for. Be safe on your journeys.”
Jessa and Shane left and walked back towards the cottage. She didn’t care if it was dark. She wanted to get her son out of there. They may have been nice, but they were wackier then she was used to. Some people couldn’t take the world as it was. They were stuck in the times when everything had been so much easier. Everyone was trying to find a reason to go on and many had turned to faith once more.
“Mommy. Do you believe that they are there for a reason?”
Jessa didn’t know how to answer. Her husband had always been good at explaining the hard stuff and she wasn’t so good with it. Her mind was too literal and Shane needed a rosy view that she found it hard to create. “Well baby. They think that they are there for a reason, so that is enough, don’t you think?”
He seemed to be pondering the question. There was still so much to teach him, she thought to herself, but right then, all Jessa was worried about was getting back to that cozy cottage and hopefully finding Michael and Milo already there waiting for her. There wasn’t too long of a walk, but Shane was getting tired, still weak from the week’s ordeal.
When she got back, she didn’t see any lights coming from the windows and her heart sank. They must not be there yet, she thought to herself. Opening the door, her heart leapt in her chest when she saw the sleeping men. Even Shane, who was too tired to walk the last mile, was energized in seeing them and started to run towards Michael.
Michael woke up with the sound of the small boy and his blue eyes met hers for a moment. They both had a long few days, but it all melted away when she saw him. Shane had lost interest with Michael, who wasn’t giving him all of his attention, and went to greet Milo. Jessa stepped forward and looked down at him smiling. “I’ve missed you Michael.”
“We have missed you too. I was worried when you weren’t here when we got here, but I just had a feeling you would be back...and here you are.”
Her eyes darkened a little and Michael couldn’t imagine what was going through her mind. Jessa was still thinking about the strange situation she had been in earlier. It had reminded her body that she had been without Michael for days and she wanted him, needed him suddenly so much that it took her breath away.
Standing up, he put his arms around her and she went to her tiptoes to kiss him. There was something in her kiss that pulled the feeling of desperation out of him. Michael had been more than worried when she wasn’t there. He didn’t see any tracks because of the storm. Milo had wanted to go, but something had told him to stay. Now that she was in his arms and kissing him, he never wanted to let her go.
It was only when Jessa pulled away, her eyes alight and the sound of disgust from her son had gotten finally to her ears. “It’s good to see you Michael.” Turning to Shane. “Now that you have said your hellos, I think it is time for someone to get some rest. I want to get out of here, as far as we can tomorrow. This place has too many strange people.”
Michael couldn’t have agreed more. All he wanted to do was leave, but it seemed like both of them had a reason to stay, at least for the night. They could make their way east the next day. Tonight, Michael had to be reminded that he was still alive. There was no better way than in the arms of the woman he had come to love in such a short amount of time. Watching her put her son to bed, Michael moved out to the porch, wanting to get some fresh air and a moment to think about everything that had happened.
Jessa came out a little later after Shane was asleep. “You okay?”
He wasn’t okay, but when she looked at him like that, it was as close as he was going to get. It was hard to not be okay when she was looking at him in such a way. “I am now.”