Days of Love and Blood

sentence with her squeaky, presumptuous voice.
    The email was to let me know that Brenton confided in her about his incident with Ritchie at the bar, that she would hold it in the strictest of confidence (which is probably why everyone else in the office already knew) and that she was available if I ever needed to talk. As curious as I was to know about Brenton’s versions of events, it wasn’t enough to compel me into taking Molly up on her offer.
    And then she said it in her postscript. There’s nothing more infuriating than someone who pr esumes to know what is going on. Her insinuation couldn’t have been further from the truth.

    “P.S. If you step out of his control, you’ll break the circle.”

    The next morning Ivy jumped into my camper with a packed bag and together we drove with Cassie and Ronan back to my place. She planned to stay with me for a few nights and I didn’t object. I welcomed her self-invitation wholeheartedly.
    After the morning garden watering, Ivy and I sat with Cassie on the front porch and watched Ronan play in the sprinkler. He danced in between the lines of water, acting out his childish play and vanquishing the past few months in turn. Everything Ronan did in youthful wonderment had a magical way of temporarily erasing bad memories - at least for a little while.
    “What’s in this stuff?” Cassie asked after making a sour face.
    “This is Carson’s infamous Lemonade Miracle,” answered Ivy. “Don’t ask what’s in it. Just keep drinking.”
    “Just give her a few minutes,” I suggested. “She can handle it. She’ll climb the hurdle.”
    “Such a beautiful day,” Ivy said as she leaned back in the cushioned wicker chair.
    “Doesn’t it seem like nothing is wrong?” I asked. “You would never know the apocalypse came and went if you were standing on my back porch.”
    “But it did,” said Cassie. She wasn’t one to speak on serious topics but the intimacy of our group probably made it easier. “It happened. And now there’s hardly anyone left.”
    “I think there are probably a lot of people left,” I countered. “I mean look at us here. A small town in the middle of nowhere, yet somehow we managed to find one another and accumulate a good-sized gathering. It wasn’t by accident but if you consider how few people would manage to roam through these parts, you have to admit that a number of survivors are out there.” I watched Cassie think about it hard and then nod her head.
    “I guess you’re right. There must be others.”
    “Of course there are others.” Ivy agreed while swatting Cassie on the leg at the same time. “That’s why Grisham and the others are trying to build that communications tower.”
    “But why don’t they use a tower that’s already been built? There are plenty, aren’t there?”
    “They would have - if there were any around. We’re in the middle of nowhere. There are no radio towers, only cell phone towers - and those are useless.”
    “How’s Johnson doing, Cassie?” I asked out of curiosity.
    “He’s fine.”
    “Just fine?” Ivy prodded.
    “What are you asking?”
    “I think she wants the details,” I said. “It’s a little obvious.” Cassie bowed her head.
    “Obvious, huh?”
    “Not that it’s a bad thing,” Ivy added cheerfully.
    “Of course it’s not a bad thing,” Cassie breathed. “It’s a good thing, a normal thing. I don’t know how many people are left and I don’t know if any of them will be like Johnson. But I’ ll tell you this - Johnson is my friend. I trust him. If something happens, Johnson is going to be the one looking out for me. I know he always goes off to do his own thing and sometimes he’s with you, Carson. But when it comes down to it, it’s me he’s protecting.”
    I did know it. They were always together, side-by-side. But I rarely saw them speaking. I never saw them hold hands or even so much as look each other in the eyes. Their only connection was distance, or a lack thereof.
    “You don’t have to be defensive, Cassie,” I said. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s your prerogative. We just wanted to know about it. You know - your relationship.”
    “She already knows our relationship,” Cassie said while motioning in Ivy’s direction.
    “ I really don’t.” Ivy said, leaning forward in her chair. “But I want to. Only if you’re okay talking about it.” She smiled at Cassie innocently in an effort to soften her emotional walls.
    “Yes,