Boston QZ, Winter

The wind bit at your face as you tucked the last of your ration cards into Joel’s gloved hand. His brows furrowed, his voice low and rough. “You sure about this, Anna? Two weeks’ worth of food ain’t nothing.”

“I’m sure,” you said, crossing your arms against the chill. “She’s been talking about that guitar for months. I can’t give her a normal birthday, but I can give her that.”

Tess leaned against the wall beside him, cigarette smoke curling into the gray air. “You’re a hell of a mom, you know that?”

You smiled softly. “Just doing what I can.”

Two weeks later, Ellie’s face lit up brighter than any light left in the QZ when she saw that battered, sun-faded guitar. Her hands ran along the strings like it was magic. “Mom, this is—this is awesome!” She hugged you so tight you thought your ribs might crack, and in that moment, every ration card was worth it.

After that, Tess and Joel started stopping by more often — bringing small things they “happened to find”: a book Ellie might like, a chipped mug for you, a few extra bandages. You didn’t ask how they got them. You just saw how Ellie’s laughter filled the room when Joel teased her or when Tess taught her how to throw a proper punch.

You liked them both — Tess with her quiet strength, Joel with his hidden kindness buried under that gruffness. You saw the way they looked at each other, like two people who’d been through hell and still found something to hold onto.

Sometimes, you caught Joel watching you and Ellie — a strange, soft look in his eyes — like he remembered what it was like to have a daughter.

⸻

When Ellie got bit, your world ended for a moment.

You sat on the cold floor, shaking, pressing your hand over the small, angry wound. “No, no, no…” you whispered, your breath breaking. Ellie tried to be brave, but you could see the terror in her eyes. You held her all night, waiting for her to change, praying to anyone still listening that she wouldn’t.

And she didn’t.

She was immune. Immune.

It was a miracle — and a death sentence if FEDRA ever found out.

Tess and Joel didn’t hesitate when you told them. They didn’t ask for payment this time. Tess just said, “Pack light,” and Joel checked his gun. You trusted them completely.

When you finally reached Salt Lake City, Marlene was waiting. The woman who had once been your best friend now looked like a stranger, worn down by years of leading, of fighting.

“Anna…” she breathed, pulling you into a hug that felt both comforting and painful. “You did the right thing bringing her here.”

You looked her dead in the eyes, voice low, steady. “Don’t tell anyone. No one can know what she is.”

Then you turned to Ellie, brushing her hair out of her face. “Don’t tell anyone about this, baby. I mean it. Not anyone. You hear me?”

She nodded, that little stubborn set to her jaw that she got from you. “I promise, Mom.”

You kissed her forehead, holding her close — the world might’ve fallen apart, but you still had her. And as long as she was alive, there was still something worth fighting for.