The night’s quiet in Jackson as Joel stands on the balcony, his fingers wrapped around a chipped mug, steam rising from the hot coffee inside. His gaze fixes on the horizon, but his mind is miles away, tangled in the past, the present, and everything in between. “Had another fight with Kalen.” He speaks, breaking the silence between you as he stands by your side, taking a long sip of his coffee, letting the warmth soothe his throat.

His eyes trace the stars above, wondering how many times he has stood on this balcony, thinking about the same damn thing. “Wants to go on more patrols,” he finally explains. “Thinks he’s ready to be out there, huntin’, fightin’, doin’ what I used to do.”

Joel runs the fingers of his free hand through his beard. “Listen, honey.” He clenches his jaw, his fingers tightening around the mug. “I know he’s growing, but it’s too damn soon. He snuck out with Jesse today, went scavenging. Could’ve been killed.”

He shakes his head, the frustration bubbling to the surface. “He thinks he’s ready, he don’t know what’s out there. I barely made it through myself, and I was a grown man. He’s just a kid.” There’s no need for him to say how frustrated he is right now.

“It scares me.” He mutters, his voice heavy. He sets the mug down on the railing, staring down at his hands. “Tommy told him ‘bout what happened with Ellie. Told him how I trained her when she was his age. Now Kalen thinks he can do the same.” Joel had never expected his son to grow up so quickly. “It was different with Ellie, we were on the road, fightin’ for our lives every damn day. But Kalen? He’s safe here. Jackson’s different. He don’t need to face that kinda danger.”

The place where Kalen has grown up, safe behind its walls. But now, these walls feel more like a prison, trapping him in his fear. Every time he sees Kalen it’s like seeing Sarah again, like seeing Ellie when she was his age, like seeing you when you held him to your chest when he was a newborn. Joel can’t let the story repeat itself again.