A/N: Before diving into the story, please understand that this is not to try and persuade anyone to do anything or challenge anyone's spiritual beliefs in anyway. This story does deal with some heavy subjects that mostly circle around faith and religion. If this offends you, it would be recommended to click away. At the end of the day, this is more of a literary project than a quick "Let's talk about our Lord and Savior" door-to-door thing. This is still a fanfic after all. And most importantly, I hope you enjoy something I've worked hard on and had fun to make. Please leave a review!
Chapter One
It was one of the best sleeps Joel had in years. Being stationed at Tommy's small utopia gave him the chance to really relax. That was until the crack of dawn when Ellie started coughing. At first, it was small, so he didn't mind it. She often woke up with her mouth dry because she started snoring. She was just as relaxed as he was. But then it turned into full on hacking and wheezing. Joel turned around to see if she was okay, but right before he did, she started vomiting.
"Ellie? Shit…" He got up right when she paused, gagging every so often. "You alright?"
She slowly shook her head before she heaved again. He ended up holding her hair back as she ruined the carpeting. He wanted to change it anyway.
When she finished, she croaked "I feel…like shit…"
He helped her out of bed to get her away from the mess and positioned her on the couch. Her forehead was hot but she shivered violently. "Just relax. I'm going to find Tommy. I'm sure he has medicine."
"Nooo…" She moaned.
"It's alright. I'll be right back."
"Joel…" He put the blankets on her, but she was still shaking. It reminded him of last winter. The worst winter. Except, he wasn't the one fighting for his life.
"Don't worry, baby girl." He told her, giving her a bucket he found in the bathroom. It was there when they settled in, and it's finally getting used. "I'll be back."
When he stepped out, the house across from them already had their lights on. Joel knew they weren't making that much noise, so he assumed they were early risers…or late nighters. He had no idea what time it was. Just in time, the woman of the house stepped out to greet the day or night. She gave him a wave. "Hey, Joel!" She said. "You're up early!"
"Morning." He greeted. "Uh…Amalia, right?"
She nodded. "How are you?"
"I'm actually looking for Tommy." He cut to the chase without being too hasty about it. The last thing he wanted was to let the whole neighborhood know Ellie was sick only to have them think it was the wrong kind of sick. "Do you know where he'd be at this time?"
She looked up and around to think. "Oh! He's probably at home or visiting The Wall. Is…everything okay?"
He looked back at their small broken house and back at her. "It's Ellie. She's pretty sick and I was hoping he'd have some medicine."
She gasped. "Oh goodness…"
"She's not that kind of sick. But she's in bad shape."
"Bless her heart."
He nodded. Maybe her coming outside at the same time was a good thing. "Do you mind kind of watching over her until I get back? You don't have to…"
"Of course I'll do it! You go get that medicine. I know he has plenty."
"Thank you, ma'am." He gave her a pat on the shoulder before hurrying off. The smallish neighborhood was barely emerging. Most of the houses were still dark and quiet while a few lit up. Joel didn't know which place Tommy would be that sounded like the best answer.
He ended up going to The Wall first and asked around. It turns out that Tommy wasn't scheduled to come in until later. Just like when we were kids, Tommy was always the one to sleep in. He should've remembered. As soon as Joel got to his house, he was still barely waking up.
"Joel, do you have any idea what time it is?" He asked.
"I just need something." He didn't beat around the bush. "I need some medicine. Amalia said you had plenty."
He nodded slowly. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Ellie came down with something last night. She's pretty hot."
"What happened?" Maria came out of the bedroom.
He let his brother inside and closed the door. "Where do we keep our medicine?"
"It's over here." She went into the kitchen and opened up a cabinet. "What kind are we looking for?"
Tommy pointed to a box. "Those'll do." He tossed it to Joel. "Whatcha think?"
He nodded. "These'll do. Thank you." He got up to leave but Tommy stopped him.
"Before you go," he said, "I need to tell you the rule."
He let out a breath in laughter. "For such a perfect place, you have plenty of rules."
"It's for the greater good, you can say." He said. "Anyway, even if Ellie's fever breaks tonight, she'll have to wait forty-eight hours before being able to see the other kids."
"I thought it was twenty-four hours." At least that was the rule at Sarah's school.
"That was before we stopped getting access to decent healthcare." He showed him to the door. "Take care of that girl of yours."
"I will." He said goodbye to him and his wife before heading home. The whole walk/jog there, he was wondering how this was going to affect Ellie's condition. Would her fever fight off any sign of the fungus? Would she no longer be infected? Would the whole decision he made to keep her away from the Fireflies be for nothing?
When he got home, he was more nervous than when he left. The thoughts circling around him didn't help. But that soon went away to what he saw inside. Amalia was singing in a low, soothing tone over Ellie as she stroked her hair. The smell of home cooking was everywhere, and it came from a huge pot on the stove.
You moved mountains,
You caused walls to fall
With Your power
You perform miracles
There is nothing that's impossible
And we're standing here
Only because you made a way
Joel stayed by the doorway as she repeated the last two lines. Something about that song was familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Ellie was completely at ease. From what he saw, she was on her lap, breathing steadily. That's when Amalia saw him. "Welcome back." She said. "I hope you don't mind, but I made you some soup. It's the same my great grandmother made during the Great Depression. It works since we're so limited, but I swear you wouldn't tell the difference."
"You didn't have to do all this…"
"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" She slowly maneuvered herself to getting off the couch. "I also cleaned up the bedroom so you don't have to worry about it." He checked for himself. It was like nothing happened. "The soup is yours, but I want to see what you think." She pulled him into the kitchenette and opened the lid. The steam alone was satisfying. When she took out her wooden spoon and gave him a taste, it was like heaven. It was warm, savory, and had a hint of spice.
"Your great grandmother would be proud." He said.
"Thanks! Well, I better go back before my family wakes up and sees that I'm gone." He thanked her again as he showed her to the door. As soon as she stepped outside, she turned back around. "Now, you know where I live. Don't hesitate to get me when you need me, hear?" She brushed his arm.
"Will do." He closed the door. He still wondered why she was up before the sun.
"Hey…" Ellie painfully rose from her position. "Where'd the gypsy lady go?"
He chuckled. "That was our neighbor." He said. "And she just came to check on you. Go on back to sleep." While she rested, he fiddled around with the TV, hooking up a DVD player to it. It was actually working thanks to the hydropower thing his brother helped make possible. There was one DVD that was already in it, which was a few episodes of one of his favorite shows. But even he dozed off watching it, not making it past the first scene.
What woke him up, however, was the grunted laughter of his partner. It was weak, but it was still joyful to hear. "What is this?" She asked. "It's funny."
"Just a show I used to watch." He said, rubbing his eyes.
They watched for a while. "They kind of sound like you." Ellie pointed out.
"It takes place in Texas. That's why." He answered.
"The quiet one reminds me of you too."
"Really?" She nodded. "There's a joke about how no one really understands what he says."
She scoffed. "No way." Right when she said it, the character started talking. All she heard were a bunch of mumbling followed by a "dang 'ol" or "man."
"What'd I tell ya?"
"Just like you."
"It's cuz you don't listen." They shared in a laugh before there was a knock on the door. He got up, keeping his eye on the screen until something else funny happened before opening it. This time, the sun was up. He wondered how long he was asleep.
"Hi, Joel." Amalia said. "I know I was just here, but I just wanted to see how you…and Ellie are doing."
Joel looked back at the girl. Ellie was comfortable in her bundle of blankets, watching TV. "She's fine." He answered. "Nothing really happened since you left."
She gave a nervous smile and said "Okay. I don't want to intrude or anything." She wasn't moving, so to Joel, it actually looked like she did want to intrude. At least a little. "It's just kind of lonely in the house. Darius and Jasmine are off…doing who knows what, and Dusty is on Wall Duty."
Ellie got up and went into the bathroom. Joel heard the door close and quickly whipped his head behind him. "Why don't you come in?" He knew that's what she wanted to hear, so he couldn't just tell her to leave.
"If you don't mind."
"I can say the same about your husband."
She shook her head. "Oh, no, honey! He's not my husband. My son, Darius, and I are just living with him and his daughter." She leaned in and whispered. "He actually plays for the other team."
"Then why live with him? I'm sure there are plenty of houses to go around."
She nodded in consideration. "But Dusty has the guns." She moved towards the couch. "You see, he saved me and my son. Before we got here, he found us trying to get out of the city." The whole time, she was blank-faced. Her eyes stared out. "He picked me up when I fell. Darius stuck behind us like glue. You should've seen it, Joel. He came out and shot these soldiers that were supposed to protect us. I was so scared, but he kept us calm. I owe my life to him." She let out a small laugh. "Well, you know what I mean. Anyway, I pay him back by helping to take care of his daughter. The day I tried to make a move, he confessed that he had someone else in mind." When Joel didn't ask, she said "He says your brother is quite the looker."
His eyes widened. "Tommy?"
She nodded. "Unless you have another brother."
"No ma'am."
"Those looks and manners surely run in the family." She crossed her legs when she saw his backpack (or his huge arsenal of weapons to be specific).
Ellie came out, wondering what kind of moment she stepped into. "Um…hi."
"Ellie, you remember Amalia?" He introduced.
She looked at the woman sitting down, waving at her. "Oh yeah. From earlier." She sat down. "I was so sure you weren't real. I mean, I was asleep."
"I'm glad that you're up and moving." She said.
"What's cooking, Joel?" She asked. "It smells good."
"It's actually the soup Amalia made. Let me fix you some."
"Thanks." She watched him get busy with that. At the time, she was shocked that it was actually soup and not some kind of spell.
Amalia instantly got sucked into the TV show. "Oh I haven't seen this in years!"
"It must be a classic." Ellie coughed.
"It is." They watched together. During one scene, one of the characters was unhealthily binging on Oreos, which made her look away.
"Man, look at him eat." She said. "He did the same thing with popcorn and cotton candy. It must've been crazy to be surrounded by so much food."
Amalia shook her head. "No, no, dear." She said as if he was eating live roaches. When Ellie never questioned, she had to explain. "When I was a little more than your age, I struggled so hard with my weight. It wasn't as bad as his, but back then, I would've said that I was. This was back when looks were everything. No one wanted to admit it, but it was. At least, that's what I thought. All these people wanted their women to be skinny and pretty. It was so hard for me that I just stopped eating like I should. And on some days I just couldn't go without food anymore, I'd scarf down unhealthy foods just like that. I'd shove it quickly like it was going to run away. Then I'd throw it all up."
"Before we got here, Joel and I saw this poster of this lady who was super skinny." Ellie said. "I even asked him why and he said that they did have food then but some chose not to eat it for the looks."
She nodded. "He's right. For me, especially, it was an eating disorder." She shook the thoughts from her mind. "But it was around that time that I found the Lord."
Ellie's eyes went wide just in time for Joel to come back with a good bowl for each of them. "Let's eat." He said. He and Ellie immediately started digging in, but Amalia was staring at it. Her lips were moving, but there were no sounds. Eventually, she started eating. Ellie and Joel exchanged a glance and went on to watching the show.
"What was with that woman?" Ellie asked when they were alone again. She took some medicine and shuddered as it went down.
"She's just finding something to do." Joel said as he finished cleaning the dishes.
"More like someone to do."
"What? Really?"
She nodded. "She's pretty weird though. When you left, she chanted something over me."
"What?"
"I'm so serious. I wasn't hallucinating or anything." Her voice cracked when she tried to imitate her. "Don't take this child! May she come out of her sickness, fully ready to take on Your world! Give her the chance to live in Your glory!"
"She said that?"
"Yeah. Then she started singing like it was some sort of offering. I thought she was selling my soul."
"Don't be so dramatic."
"It's true." She coughed again. "I was…" She started hacking again.
"Take it easy, kiddo. You're getting excited." Joel handed her some water.
Ellie gulped it down before continuing. "She asked about your guns too."
"She was pretty surprised by it." He looked at the backpack. He noticed everything was all there. "Get some rest."
"I've been resting all day." She complained, going to grab the blankets anyway and moving to the bedroom.
Joel went to the window by the door to check on Amalia's house. Dusty came back with the kids, who looked to be around Ellie's age. He knew he shouldn't be suspicious. They were in a safe environment, Amalia's been watched the whole time, and she didn't try to kill him yet. But there was something off. Like the way she always knew he was watching.
She waved, causing the others to turn around. As much as he wanted to leave the window all together, he was already spotted, so he waved back before immediately moving away and back to the couch.
Joel was woken up the same way the next day. Ellie wheezed and hacked. This time, he was prepared with the bucket. "Shit." She muttered in between gags. "That medicine didn't fucking work."
"Just take it easy." He said.
She spat and wiped her mouth. "I don't feel good."
"I figured."
She lied back down. "The gypsy chant didn't work either."
"I can call her over if you want."
"Nooo…" She groaned.
Joel chuckled and washed her face with a cold, wet rag. There was a knock on the door. "Looks like she's already here."
"How can you tell?"
"Who else would come over here?" She sighed. "Don't worry. I'll get rid of her."
When he went to the door, he first checked the window to make sure it was her. Just as expected, Amalia stood there with a small basket. "Hi, Joel." She greeted cheerfully. "I just want to see how you and Ellie are doing."
"She's still running a temperature. We're just going to have a quiet day." He moved in to close the door, but she kept talking.
"I won't intrude." There was that word again. "I'll just give you this." She handed the basket to him. "It's a pie. An apple pie. It was another Great Depression recipe. The whole ration deal actually comes in handy nowadays, huh?"
"I appreciate it." He almost closed the door again.
"Also, I…wanted to invite you…I mean, ask you out."
This got his attention. He opened the door a bit wider. "What?"
"I know you're busy today and probably the next few days with Ellie's illness and all. But someday when you're free, we can cook a meal together." She gave him a half pleading smile. Her eyes darted over his shoulder. "Hi, Ellie!"
Joel turned around and saw Ellie stumbling towards the kitchen. She could be just as stubborn as he was. "Go on back to bed, kiddo."
She mumbled something and slowly headed back into the room. Amalia made a noise of satisfaction. "That's so cute. Do you mind if I pray over her?"
His eyebrow rose. "I would, but she's pretty sick. I wouldn't want you to catch anything…"
"It's no problem. We'll just pray out here."
"Uh…"
Before he could object, she held his hand tightly. "Lord, please hear our voice. Your daughter, Ellie, has fallen ill. We pray with all our hearts that she makes a speedy recovery and come out strong enough to complete the mission You gave her. Lord, we also pray that Your son, Joel, takes great care of her with Your wisdom and light. In Your name we pray, amen."
"Uh…amen."
She smiled brightly as if she was offered something great. "That was…a strong connection."
"Well, that was an amazing prayer." He nodded.
"Makes you really feel the true power of the Lord, huh?"
"Yeah." He said, half listening. Most of the time, he was planning his escape. "I think I should check on Ellie. It was nice praying with you, ma'am."
"Okay." She touched his arm again. "If you need anything or want to pray again, you know where to find me."
"Mama!" The boy, Darius, called from their porch. "Come on! We're going to be late!"
"Give me a minute, son!" She called back. Then she told Joel "I hope you'll consider it. The dinner I mean. Or we could do something else."
"Mama!"
"I should go. I'll see you later, Joel."
Joel just waved as she hurried across the dirt road. When he got back inside, Ellie was quick to ask "Was it her? What did she want?"
"It was her." He answered, reheating the pot of soup. "She asked how you were doing."
"Did you tell her the medicine doesn't work?" She asked as she came out of the bedroom.
"I got that from Tommy's. Medicine doesn't work right away. Especially after its expiration date."
"No wonder it tasted awful." She said. "So what else? She looked like she was asking you a bunch of stuff."
He shook his head as he served her a bowl. "She actually asked me out."
Her eyes widened. "Like on a date?" He shrugged a shoulder. "She did?!" She laughed.
"Why is that so funny?"
She started eating. "You being romantic."
"You say that like it's impossible." They both knew that it was. "Besides, she made us a pie and prayed over you."
"She what?" She asked in more disbelief than anything.
Joel nodded. "Yep. Prayed to the Lord and everything."
She slowed down, staring at the chunks of vegetables. "Do…Do you believe in that stuff?"
They stared each other in the eye for a while. Then, he slowly shook his head. "I used to."
All she could say was "Oh." A chill struck her violently, causing her to drop her spoon. "Shit."
Joel chuckled. "I'll close the window." Before he did, though, he stared at the sky. There were a few heavenly clouds. He wondered if there were angels on there, smiling down. He'd like to think one of them was Sarah. He slammed the glass pane down and locked it up.
That's when he saw Amalia and Darius. He was still smaller than her, so she wrapped a supportive arm around him. From the looks of it, they were going towards the Wall. Dusty and Jasmine followed them. Joel took note that he didn't have his guns. Where were they going?
Ellie picked herself up off her seat and hobbled to the window. "That's them?"
Joel nodded.
"But she's married. How did she…?"
"Ain't her husband." He put a hand on her shoulder and guided her away from the window. "Go on, now. Back to bed before the medicine knocks you out."
"But it doesn't work."
In a matter of minutes, she passed out on the couch. It was a good place for Joel to keep an eye on her, while he sat on the porch. It was a perfect day to pluck at his six-string. He played a simple tune, letting nature carry him. Amalia's family returned after an hour. Darius was ahead of his mother, who had her head down, walking slowly. Dusty gave her a pat on the back and a huge everything-is-going-to-be-fine smile. Jasmine even rubbed her back in a sympathetic manner. She told her something that sounded like "That was kind of scary."
Joel paused on his playing, wondering what was going on. He looked towards the huge wall. Everything looked normal. Nothing scary. So he went back to playing, knowing that it wasn't his business in the first place. Amalia didn't even turn to see him. She just went into the house. It was haunting in a way. Someone who was so full of life just didn't seem to have it after being gone for a little over an hour. What happened while they were gone?
He chuckled to himself at the thought that she prayed too hard. Or maybe she got yelled at for praying. That would be harsh. She could've just prayed over someone who didn't want to be prayed over.
"God, I fucking stink." He heard Ellie get off the couch and go into the bathroom. She actually had enough energy to take a bath. It got him to thinking that maybe the power of her prayers shouldn't be taken too lightly. But even if she did pray for Ellie's recovery, there was no way that would happen immediately. Not after just saying a few words, especially. But what really got to Joel was the other thing she said about fulfilling her destiny. What mission would Ellie be on if not with the Fireflies? Did she know?
Joel looked at the clouds again, trying to remember the last time he prayed, truly prayed. It had to have been when Sarah was in his arms. He begged for her to stay. He begged for her to get her next breath. But since it didn't work that way, he stopped believing. What kept Amalia going?
In the late afternoon, Joel read next to Ellie, who was all curled up on the other side. It was quiet until she woke up with a loud gasp. She swatted her arms as if she tried to defend herself from being taken. "Ellie!" He tried to hold her down, but she still swung her arms. "Ellie, it's okay. Baby girl, look at me."
Her eyes finally opened as she looked around frantically. Her breath was short for a while as she gripped Joel's arms tightly. "Joel…I…" She scanned the room again. "He… I don't…"
"Just breathe." He told her. "I'm right here. It's just me."
She looked him in the eyes as she took a deep breath. "I saw someone… I mean, I thought I did. Someone touched me."
"Who? In your dream?"
"I don't know." Joel noticed how tight her grip still was as she continued. "It felt so real, Joel. I thought he was going to take me."
Joel gave a nervous, empty breath of laughter. "You must've been dreaming."
She nodded slowly, accepting the reasoning and loosening her fingers. "There was a man…and I think a woman. She was…" She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "She was telling me to stay…"
"Did you recognize her?"
She shook her head. "She was behind this bright light. I couldn't see her face."
He didn't want to admit how creepy it sounded. But that was until he remembered she had a fever, so it was probably part of a fever dream. He wiped some of the sweat from the apples of her cheeks. "That must've been some dream." He said, feeling her forehead. But what added on to the weirdness was the fact that her skin was no longer warm. The same with her cheeks and under her chin. Her fever was gone. "How are you feeling?"
"A little thirsty." She answered honestly. "A little hot."
"Let me get…"
"I can get my own water." She got up. "It's so weird having you do so much for me."
He shook his head. She had no idea. She wasn't there when Amalia squeezed his hand and prayed for her recovery that morning. The sun was barely up when she nearly wailed at the Lord, and in only few hours, Ellie recovered. She was walking almost normally, getting and drinking her own water. She chugged it down as if she was deprived. Then again, she probably was. It was as if she received new life. But there was no way Amalia called for a miracle. That didn't make sense to him. Out of all the miracles he asked for, why was that the one to actually come true?
Joel even went through all the reasons. Maybe Ellie's a fast healer? That would've made more sense before the Cordyceps outbreak. Maybe the medicine had a great effect on her. Maybe there was something in the soup that was great for the immune system. Maybe Amalia has gotten to him, fucking up his whole philosophy on life.
"So," Ellie sat back down, "after a good bowl of soup, a bath, and medicine equals the best nap. I feel like I could've slept through a hurricane!"
"You snored like one too." He joked. At least he knew there was a logical explanation.
"Did I rattle the walls?"
"Surprised the house's still standing."
She chuckled, which turned into a coughing fit. "I need to open the window."
"Alright."
Ellie struggled at first to open the window. "It feels so good outside." She said, remembering she hadn't been out in a while. Without Joel even seeing, she stepped out and sat on the porch. There was no harm in breathing a bit of fresh air.
"Ellie!" Amalia called from her window. She had a pie cooling on the windowsill like they did in the old movies Ellie watched. "How are you, honey?"
"Pretty good." She said. "How are you?"
She put up a finger for her to wait there before stepping out. "Did you get to taste the pie I sent? I know Joel probably wouldn't let you until you were all better, but don't let him take all of it."
"Okay." She said. "I kinda wanna thank you for taking care of me."
"Oh, it's no problem. What kind of neighbor would I be if I didn't?"
"Joel thanks you too." As soon as she said that, Amalia lit up.
"He said that?"
Ellie didn't know what she walked into after hearing how excited she was to hear from Joel. She could've told the truth and said that he only wanted to. But she decided differently. "Yeah. He really can't stop talking about the soup you made. Did you make it from scratch?"
"I did." She blushed. "I'm glad you like it."
"And it made me feel so much better too." She said. "My headache went away."
Her eyes widened. "Really?" She sounded even more excitement. "I always knew the Lord is always watching over us! I'm so glad He heard our prayer!"
Ellie became just as confused as Joel. She was going to say it was a very good nap, but maybe, whoever (or whatever) this Lord was, maybe He wasn't so bad. "Um…about that…" She started playing with her fingers, contemplating what she wanted to say.
"Yes, dear?" She came up and put her hands on hers.
Ellie looked down at how firm she held it. "I just…don't know much about prayer." She let her continue. "I don't understand how it works."
"The concept is pretty simple." She said. "It's how we talk to God."
"And you're positive that someone out there is listening?"
She nodded. "Honey, I have to be. I've learned that in this world, there isn't anyone you can trust more than our Heavenly Father."
"Even now?"
"Especially now." She said. "The things we face now are bigger than us, so we have to ask Him for help. The Bible says that we must pray ceaselessly, and that's exactly what I plan to do, baby!"
Ellie looked at the sky as if she could see God looking down. "Doesn't that scare you? Just knowing that there's someone up there more powerful than you or me or even Joel?"
She nodded. "Uh huh. He's bigger and more powerful than anyone can imagine. But just know that He's watching you to protect you, to carry you, to love you. Ellie, you're a very special girl. He told me that you are important. Do you feel important?"
She slowly took her hands back. Somehow Amalia knew what happened in Salt Lake City. Was she a Firefly ready to take her back? Was she part of David's crew? She couldn't be. They were safe here. At least that's what Joel and Tommy said.
"I…I don't know." She tried to keep her eyes away from her the bite on her arm. If she did, Amalia definitely would know what's up. "I guess so." She hugged her arms.
"Are you okay? You seem a little…withdrawn. Are you cold?"
She shook her head. "No, I just…"
"Mama?" Darius called from the other side. "Mama, there's no more apples. Can I pick some more?"
"Be careful, and bring Dusty with you."
"But, Mama, I wanted to go with Giselle." There was something familiar about the way Darius spoke. His voice was pretty deep and squeaked at times, but it didn't ring any bells to Ellie just yet.
"I want you to pick some for our new friends, and I don't think Giselle can carry a whole basket of apples."
Ellie would've said that he didn't have to, but she was planning her escape. As Amalia and Darius discussed it, she could've slipped back inside.
"Can I bring her along anyway so I can have someone to talk to?" He asked.
"Boy, you should be talking to him!"
Ellie was closer to the door handle. When Amalia turned around, she took her hand back in a flash.
"I don't think you've met my son." She said, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Darius, this is Ellie. She's friends with Tommy and his brother, Joel."
"Hi." She said.
"Nice to meet you."
"Maybe next time you two can go together. Ellie would need to know where to get fresh apples."
"Okay." He went into the house.
"That boy." She said. "I believe you guys would be great friends."
"He seems nice." She said.
Without warning, Amalia gave her a tight hug. "You're so cute, you know that?" She started humming at first. But then she pulled out some lyrics to sing.
Hold on sister,
You got to know that you will fly again
Hold on, everything's gonna be alright
My brother,
You got to know that you will rise again
Just stand, and fly again
With her voice so gentle and yet powerful against her, Ellie felt an odd sense of comfort. She put her arms around her and squeezed back. It was then that Ellie wanted to tell her about her dream. She wanted to know what she had to say about the man that tried to take her. But it was also then that Amalia pulled away. "I need to make sure my pie didn't get eaten yet. I see Dusty making a move." She said her goodbye and hurried back across.
"What are you doing?" Joel popped his head outside and asked. "Who was that?"
"Amalia." Ellie answered, coming inside. "Now that I'm feeling better, you can go on that date."
"Whatcha talkin' about? You're still sick as a dog." He met her on the couch.
"You're awful. You know you can't use that excuse forever." She laughed back. "But you should seriously do it. She's so nice…and lonely."
"And it's my job to entertain her?"
She shrugged. "If you want to put it that way, then yeah."
He shook his head. "Nope."
"Come on. You deserve it too. When's the last time you had a date?" He didn't say anything for a while. "Or maybe I should say: when's the last time you hung out with anyone around your age?"
"I was with Tommy the other day."
"Family doesn't count."
"Well, what's your excuse?"
"Tommy has the 48-hour rule. Otherwise, I'd be out there with her kids."
This took him aback. She was actually ready to get this close to her family. "If it's just hanging out, I'd consider it."
"Then consider it. She can call it whatever she wants, and you can call it whatever you want. At the end of the day, it's just the two of you making dinner." Joel had to remember that Ellie sometimes surprised him with how smart she was. At that age, she was pretty mature. "And after dinner, you can go to the bedroom and make dessert." Sometimes. She was mature sometimes.
Joel took a pillow and tapped her head. "No."
She laughed. "Well, that's too bad. She's nice." She coughed. "And she's a good cook."
She had a point. But Joel couldn't find it in himself to agree to a date. His last romantic relationship… He didn't even want to think about it.
The next morning, Joel woke up to Ellie coughing again. He knew only a prayer wouldn't work! But when he rushed over with the bucket, he didn't need it. He was pretty glad that he wouldn't have to spend half an hour cleaning it, but that only meant Amalia was right. "I'm okay." She said, getting her breath back. "My mouth is so dry." She forgot to put a glass of water next to her so she can start the day by hydrating herself.
By this time, Amalia would've been at the door or at least in the area. But she never came over. Maybe it was over. Ellie was feeling better, so she didn't have to come over. Joel peaked out the window to see what was up. The house was still, no life could be found. He didn't mean to keep tabs on her, but he couldn't help but to be curious.
"Hey, Joel?" Ellie stepped out of the bathroom. "Can I tell you something?"
"Of course, baby girl. Shoot."
She met him by the window. "When we were talking yesterday, me and Amalia, she said that… She said God said to her that I was important."
"What do you mean? That she's important or that you are?"
"Me, Joel. What if she knows?"
He gave a small breath of laughter. "No, she doesn't know. If she did, she'd say something."
She shrugged, unconvinced. "Then, I had another weird dream." She sat down at the table. "You were there. She was there. And Marlene. Tess, too." She paused to remember. "And a woman with red hair. And…Riley…" She closed her eyes. "Sam, Henry, and…Sarah."
His eyes widened as he sat down in the opposite chair. "All those people?"
She nodded. "You and Amalia were trying to keep me in Jackson. I was floating away and you guys were grabbing my feet. Your daughter was pointing at me and waving for me to come with her." She did so to demonstrate. "She had on this white dress, and Sam had this robe thing. He was telling me that it didn't hurt. I didn't know what it meant. Henry just stood there on a cloud. He didn't want to help. Riley was with Sarah and Marlene was with that other woman. Tess reached out her hand like she was ready to pull me up. They really wanted me to join them. Then, Amalia let go. She was waving at me to go. You fought like hell to keep me here.
"But then, that man came back." She continued. "He pushed me down and into your arms." She shook her head. "He never said anything, but it was like he was saying 'Not yet.' That's when I woke up."
Joel was quiet for a while. She wondered if he was still listening, but the truth was he was sort of angry. How could Amalia do that? First she comes into her life, prays over her, let's her have weird dreams, and then lets her go to her symbolic dream heaven? He didn't know what to say except "I'm sure it didn't mean anything."
"I don't know. I never really remember my dreams. That was the one that was just scary. Especially because it was the second time I saw that woman. I know it was the same one from before."
"No, that's… Who do you think it is?"
She shrugged. "Someone. I really can't recall anyone I know with red hair and green eyes…"
"Not even you?"
She was quiet.
"Maybe your fever came back." He felt her forehead, but it was normal. What did it all mean?
She sniffed. "Maybe I do need to relax. Luckily, I have plenty of reading material." She went into his backpack and pulled out all of the comic books he found her.
Joel watched her go into the bedroom. The whole time, he was contemplating that dream. Was the Lord saving her, or was He telling her she was going to die soon? There was a knock on the door, taking him out of his thoughts. He knew Amalia always had perfect timing. Except she wasn't at the door alone. When he opened it, it was her and Darius with a big basket of apples.
"Hi, Joel." He said shyly. "These are for you and Ellie."
"Thanks, son." He accepted it. "You sure picked a lot."
"They're in season, sir."
"Once the guys start picking, they never want to stop!" She said. "And they always get the best ones. He also wanted to know how Ellie is doing."
"Is Ellie feeling better yet?" He asked.
Joel could tell he was concerned just like his mother. "She's still recovering." He answered. "I'll let you know when."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Go ahead and help Dusty clean up." She told him. "I'll be over in a minute."
"Okay, Mama."
As the boy ran back to his house, Amalia stared at Joel with a huge smile. "So I didn't just come here to give you apples."
"You didn't?" He stepped inside to put the basket on the table.
"I wanted to talk to you about Ellie."
Joel looked towards the bedroom door to make sure Ellie had the door closed. "Sure. Come on in." In his mind, he knew it couldn't go well. No one just wants to talk about your child unless it's something problematic.
"It's really not a huge problem." She said already taking her seat on the couch. "She asked me some deep questions."
"She does that."
"Does she ask you about God?"
He shook his head. "It's not my department."
She laughed nervously. "I probably stressed her out."
"She's been having weird dreams." He told her. "Most of them had to do with ascending to Heaven."
"It sounds like she's finding herself spiritually." When he didn't say anything, she explained. "When it happened to me, I had a dream that I was giving Jesus and the Virgin Mary gift baskets. One of them was blue and the other was pink." She laughed a little more relaxed. "It's just something we go through."
"I've never been through it." He admitted it so plainly. It was as if he was challenging her.
"Oh, don't worry. It's unique for everyone." She said. "Do you want to pray…?"
"No." He said. "I don't want to pray about it. The whole thing has gotten out of hand."
"What?" She was taken aback. "Out of hand?"
"I know you mean well, but I'm just…not…" He didn't know how he was going to complete the sentence without being completely harsh. She was an unarmed woman. "I'm not sure I still believe."
She stared for a second before grabbing his hands. She held them tightly against his knee. "I know it may seem impossible, but His power is real. You may have not been called just yet, but I know what you're going through."
"Do you?"
"Yes. I've been there."
"Really?"
"Yes!" She said. "When I had my eating disorder, I was wondering why God couldn't see me suffering, but He did and…"
"No offense, but this…" He gestured around the whole world. "…is a lot bigger than starving yourself so boys can like you."
She let go of his hand. The way she surrendered was enough for Joel to want to apologize. Want. But Amalia was persistent. "It is. That's why I believe we need Him more than ever. One day, he's going to send us the cure. The human race will thrive again just as He wanted!"
She was just an unarmed woman that made pies and still believes in Jesus. That's what Joel kept telling himself. There was no way she was some undercover Firefly or smuggler. He had to say something before she got suspicious. "In this world…with all that has happened, there isn't a lot of good happening."
"But you're wrong." She turned so that she was fully facing Joel. One leg was on the couch, while the other dangled off. She was completely open. If she was out to get them, she would've made a move to kill him. Since she wasn't, Joel was intrigued and mirrored her position. "I thank God every day for your brother and his wife. They made this community happen. And I know you're grateful for meeting Ellie. I know I am. I'm grateful to have met you too."
He didn't know how to react to that. He just turned back to the correct sitting position and crossed his arms.
"Aren't you grateful for being here?"
"I know what you're trying to do." He said. "I've lost too much for a few kind words to make me forget it all."
"Honey, you don't have to forget anything. You can get mad at your past. But you have to trust…" She stopped herself. It was as if someone turned her off. She turned back around. "I'm sorry. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. That even means believing in the Lord. But what if Ellie wants to believe?" He was quiet. "What would you tell her?"
He shrugged. He remembered how she reacted when he said he didn't believe. It was as if she was disappointed. Maybe she did want to believe there was a heaven, and the one person she had to go to didn't. "It's a good thing she feels comfortable talking to you."
They were quiet for a while. Amalia could've left at any moment, but the fact that she stayed meant there was something to get off her chest. "I was so certain that the day you showed up here…" She giggled a little. "It's kind of silly." She wiped her eye. "I thought that when you came in with your friend, you looked like a superhero. You came in scratched up and bruised with your huge backpack of weapons. Ellie too. I asked about you. Tommy said you were traveling all over the country with that girl. From Boston to Jackson to Eastern Colorado to Salt Lake City back to Jackson. You've been through so much." Joel nodded in agreement. "And as soon as I knew that, I asked God. We talked for a little while, and he told me to be careful with you, not because you're dangerous but because you're broken."
"Is that so?" He wanted to challenge that last statement, but there was no point. She had the God card and she used it frequently. There was no way he could compete with that.
"That's what He said. So I waited to talk to you."
"So you knew me, prayed about meeting me, and here we are."
"Exactly. Isn't it amazing?" He thought about it. "Out of all the moments we could've met, God brought us together at the perfect time."
He chuckled. "Yeah, the day where Ellie vomits all over the floor is the perfect day for us to meet."
"But would you've spoken two words to me if you didn't need me?"
There it was again. Amalia knew exactly how to confuse him. He questioned to himself first if there was a way she could've been wrong, but he didn't know. "I guess not."
She faced him again and touched his arm. "Joel…" She pierced her lips together. He faced her and waited patiently for the rest of the sentence. "I'm just…so glad you're my friend. We are friends, right?"
He was pretty sure there was something more she wanted to say. "Yes." He said.
"I really didn't mean to step on your toes or anything. I'm sorry for not keeping my mouth shut. That Ellie…"
"Hold on." He put up a hand to stop her. "You're not at fault. If anything, I should let Ellie believe how she wants to. I can't control that." Hearing that made her smile. "I'm glad we got to meet someone who was a bit more positive."
She moved a bit closer. Their knees were almost touching. "And I'm glad you feel that way."
"So since you've done so much for us, you let us know what we can do for you."
"I need you…"
Her hand slowly moved towards his. Joel didn't move. Her lips curled into a smile as she started singing.
I fail, again
I fall, I fall so short
You know, You know my end
From the start, You know my heart
I need You…
By the end of the chorus, Joel was pulled in like a sailor to a siren's song. She rubbed his hand with her thumb in tiny circles. He put his free hand on her knee. They moved in, barely making enough room for Jesus.
"AA-CHOO!"
They jumped and froze in place as Ellie came out of the bedroom sniveling. "God bless you." Amalia was quick to say.
"Thanks." She said, not paying attention to them on the couch. "Whoa, look at all these apples!"
"Help yourself." Joel told her with his eyes still on Amalia.
They were still, their hearts beating as Ellie washed off her snack. The whole time, Joel was wondering what was happening. Was he willing to forget his past for something that was literally in front of him? Amalia kept rubbing his hand. Maybe it was right. Maybe she was right.
Ellie sneezed again as she headed back to the bedroom. "God bless you." Amalia said again.
"Thank you." She said before closing the door.
The second he heard Ellie's grip release from the other side and the latch click, Joel went off his primal urges and kissed Amalia. He was surprised to notice that she was pulling him closer to her as well. After a while, he wanted to pull away. Since Amalia was so religious, there had to have been a limit to how far she was willing to go. But every time he did, she would bring him back in.
"Hold on." He said, finally able to catch his breath.
"Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry." She fixed her hair and shirt. "That was pretty…pretty…"
Good? He thought. "It's okay. I mean, it's better than okay. I wanted to know if this was appropriate…"
"Come with me to The Wall tomorrow." She said. "Please?"
There was a sense of urgency and pleasure in her voice. It was as if she'd die if he didn't say yes, but at the same time, if he did, she'd explode with happiness. "Okay."
She clapped and gave his a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you so much!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly. It was the same way Sarah did when he surprised her with Dawn of the Wolf movie tickets. But instead of going to see a stupid teen movie, he agreed to going to The Wall for some reason. What was even there besides guards?
He patted her back until she decided to let go. "Just tell me what I need to do…or bring."
"Just bring Ellie." She said. "You don't even have to dress fancy. Just you two come with us."
Another loud sneeze came from the bedroom. "And you're sure I should bring Ellie?" Joel asked.
"She'll be fine. I'll make some more soup, give her a steamy shower and a good night's sleep, and she'll be just fine."
"Alright then."
As soon as he gave her the word, she started on her famous soup. Joel watched her go back and forth, getting ingredients from everywhere. She did so much for him to stay. He was the same way with Tess when they met. She knew all the rules to surviving in this world while Joel was her assistant. Now, Amalia trusted Joel for some reason.