some unknown point in the kitchen, her mind a million miles away.
Finally, she looked to Liv. “I’m sorry for Nate’s behavior.” She rubbed her hands tiredly across her face. “He’s not usually like this. He’s never like this.” Lydia glanced over to the children, her face softening as she watched Aaron patiently try to teach Elli how to hold the controller. “Today has just been hard for him.”
“Today has been hard for everyone.” Liv nodded. “Everyone processes things differently. Maybe he just needs some time to himself, but I’m sure he’ll come around.” Liv hoped the words were true but she wasn’t so sure. Nate worried her.
“Nate’s always been a good man. A good father.” Lydia let out another tired sigh. “He never had the best grades in school, but he has a good job in construction. He likes working with his hands.” She smiled for a moment. “I don’t think I could ever imagine him sitting behind a desk or putting on the front he’d have to in the corporate world. He’s too genuine for that.”
Lydia lost herself in her thoughts. “You’d probably never guess it, but he’s just a big old teddy bear.”
Liv found her eyes wandering back to the photos that graced the house’s walls: some family portraits, everyone dressed nicely and perfectly positioned. Some of the photos were more candid. One caught Liv’s eye: a younger Nate asleep on the couch with his arms wrapped around an infant Aaron. She had one just like it of Colin and Elli.
The frown returned to Lydia’s face. “I’m afraid for him.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “He was working construction at Mercy early this morning…” Her words trailed off. Suddenly Lydia shook her head and continued. “He said one person came in with a bite. Then a few more. Then they were just pouring in. The place was packed. One of them must have changed and the place just became a bloodbath.” There was a haunted looked in her eyes.
“He won’t tell me everything. I’m not sure I want to know, but Nate barely escaped.” Tears filled her eyes. “He was doing alright until the chaos came here.” Lydia twisted her hair around her fingers nervously. “One second everything was fine and then the next…” She shook her head. “There was just so much blood. Watching his coworkers die, his friends, our neighbors, it’s a lot for him. Too much.”
Liv reached out and took Lydia’s hand as she began to cry. The woman remained strong even as the tears flowed. Careful to keep her whimpers too quiet for the children to hear.
“It will be OK.” Liv tried to make her voice strong. “Maybe he’ll feel better after some rest. We’re all tired. It’s been…” What kind of day had it been? Unexpected? That was an understatement. Chaotic. To say the least. Terrifying. And then some. “We can try talking to him tomorrow.” She squeezed Lydia’s hand reassuringly. “Nate loves you and Aaron. He’ll do what he has to do to protect you. If he can do that for a stranger”—Liv motioned to herself—“he’d go to hell and back for you.”
Lydia gave Liv a halfhearted smile. “Nate would do that for anyone.”
Day 1
10:38 pm
Liv and Aaron spent an hour gathering supplies before Lydia finally emerged from the bedroom. He had helped her find hydrogen peroxide to use for disinfecting surfaces, Betadine for disinfecting wounds, a small first-aid kit, a couple of Nate’s heavier handheld tools, some more easily transportable food and flashlights. The power was still on, but there was no guarantee that it would last.
All the supplies were stacked neatly on the island in the kitchen. Liv had cut two holes through the corners of Elli’s blanket so she could thread the straps of the carrier through it. Hopefully, this would help shield Elli from blood splatter if they got caught again.
Liv had put a few cans of fruits and vegetables in the diaper bag, and a hefty wrench waited patiently on the nightstand. If she had
Finally, she looked to Liv. “I’m sorry for Nate’s behavior.” She rubbed her hands tiredly across her face. “He’s not usually like this. He’s never like this.” Lydia glanced over to the children, her face softening as she watched Aaron patiently try to teach Elli how to hold the controller. “Today has just been hard for him.”
“Today has been hard for everyone.” Liv nodded. “Everyone processes things differently. Maybe he just needs some time to himself, but I’m sure he’ll come around.” Liv hoped the words were true but she wasn’t so sure. Nate worried her.
“Nate’s always been a good man. A good father.” Lydia let out another tired sigh. “He never had the best grades in school, but he has a good job in construction. He likes working with his hands.” She smiled for a moment. “I don’t think I could ever imagine him sitting behind a desk or putting on the front he’d have to in the corporate world. He’s too genuine for that.”
Lydia lost herself in her thoughts. “You’d probably never guess it, but he’s just a big old teddy bear.”
Liv found her eyes wandering back to the photos that graced the house’s walls: some family portraits, everyone dressed nicely and perfectly positioned. Some of the photos were more candid. One caught Liv’s eye: a younger Nate asleep on the couch with his arms wrapped around an infant Aaron. She had one just like it of Colin and Elli.
The frown returned to Lydia’s face. “I’m afraid for him.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “He was working construction at Mercy early this morning…” Her words trailed off. Suddenly Lydia shook her head and continued. “He said one person came in with a bite. Then a few more. Then they were just pouring in. The place was packed. One of them must have changed and the place just became a bloodbath.” There was a haunted looked in her eyes.
“He won’t tell me everything. I’m not sure I want to know, but Nate barely escaped.” Tears filled her eyes. “He was doing alright until the chaos came here.” Lydia twisted her hair around her fingers nervously. “One second everything was fine and then the next…” She shook her head. “There was just so much blood. Watching his coworkers die, his friends, our neighbors, it’s a lot for him. Too much.”
Liv reached out and took Lydia’s hand as she began to cry. The woman remained strong even as the tears flowed. Careful to keep her whimpers too quiet for the children to hear.
“It will be OK.” Liv tried to make her voice strong. “Maybe he’ll feel better after some rest. We’re all tired. It’s been…” What kind of day had it been? Unexpected? That was an understatement. Chaotic. To say the least. Terrifying. And then some. “We can try talking to him tomorrow.” She squeezed Lydia’s hand reassuringly. “Nate loves you and Aaron. He’ll do what he has to do to protect you. If he can do that for a stranger”—Liv motioned to herself—“he’d go to hell and back for you.”
Lydia gave Liv a halfhearted smile. “Nate would do that for anyone.”
Day 1
10:38 pm
Liv and Aaron spent an hour gathering supplies before Lydia finally emerged from the bedroom. He had helped her find hydrogen peroxide to use for disinfecting surfaces, Betadine for disinfecting wounds, a small first-aid kit, a couple of Nate’s heavier handheld tools, some more easily transportable food and flashlights. The power was still on, but there was no guarantee that it would last.
All the supplies were stacked neatly on the island in the kitchen. Liv had cut two holes through the corners of Elli’s blanket so she could thread the straps of the carrier through it. Hopefully, this would help shield Elli from blood splatter if they got caught again.
Liv had put a few cans of fruits and vegetables in the diaper bag, and a hefty wrench waited patiently on the nightstand. If she had
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