Standard Disclaimer: No copyrighted material used in this chapter belongs to me. This story belongs to Linda Howard/Jones with some RIB and the writers of Glee mixed in. I tried to include some of the things from your comments into this chapter. It is choppy and disjointed but it's my gift to all of you.

Merry Christmas and Have a Happy New Year. I will go back into my Cedes's like self-protection bubble for the rest of the year. Maybe, I will come back out and write again, but if I don't, we are blessed with some of the best writers ever to continue to take this fandom into 2022: ArwenforLife, Da'Khari, Tora and Kesh, TWrites, perfectromanceinmind, Nicolez722, WhoknowsTV, LadiJ, xoxoPrincessxoxo, Kela-mae, Romyr4, Melaninmami, JumpingJill909, and anybody else that I have inadvertently left off because I am far from perfect and make plenty of mistakes like I did in several of these unbeta'd chapters. You all know who they are, and I thank them for keeping our community alive at a time that I am not able to do so. These authors rock and please read and support them if you enjoy their offerings. I am so impressed by those who are able to write as diligently as they do with all that is going on in the world today. You never know what may be going on in their lives.

This story is at the end. I will probably delete this story like I am slowly doing with a lot of stories on this site. I am leaving some for a little bit longer though and will keep this one up at least until Spring when I have my next vacation from work. I will try my best to come back at least once a year with a reimagined story for you my dear friends. Cherish your loved ones. Time is really short. Take care! And thanks again for all the love and support you have given me this first holiday season without a lot of my loved ones.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The entire community reeled in the aftermath of the violence. Five of the six who'd plotted to take over the county were dead, but what would they do with Rick? He'd refused to kill the women at Roz's, but he'd hit Carl in the head hard enough that Hank Saunders, the medic, was worried. With Mike injured, it was up to Hank and the town's elderly vet to provide all the urgent medical care under Mike's supervision. Hank saw to their medical needs while the vet saw to the rest of the community because Mike was no unable to. So far Carl was hanging in, but if he died that was murder. They were all hoping it was no worse than a concussion, something he could easily recover from.

Losing a man hit Sam hard. He'd lost too many men in combat, but Paul had been a civilian, and that made it harder. He'd never intended to get to know any of the people here, yet here he was, up to his neck in their lives. The man had been willing to do anything and everything for the community, and he'd paid for that with his life, in the same way any soldier might.

Living in a world where there was no law had its challenges. No, there still had to be law. Somehow, some way. These people were his people now. Cedes was his, her family was his, her community was his. As bad as it had been driving down the mountain in the dark when he'd heard gunshots at her store, that was nothing compared to how he'd felt when he'd come through the door and seen her on the floor, Nelson aiming a rifle at her head. His vision had gone to red mist, and his heart had stopped. He still wasn't over the sheer terror of that moment, especially now that he knew Nelson had kicked her and she was hurt. She was moving around, but gingerly. He'd been kicked a few times himself, and it was brutal. He wanted to pick her up and hold her on his lap, just hold her, but after a few minutes of shock she'd gathered herself and taken charge in that quiet but quickly decisive way she always had.

Roz's house was a mess. Paul had died a bloody death on the front porch, and Lawrence's brains were all over the living room. Cedes had organized having Roz transported to her own house, where they would all stay until Roz's house could be put to rights, which the neighborhood women were taking care of as fast as possible. A big woman named Lauren had shown up and was moving furniture like a man, pulling up blood-soaked carpet, packing up personal belongings and hand-carrying heavy boxes down to Cedes's house. Sam made a note to recruit her for the patrol.

Herb was hanging in, but it didn't look good. They'd moved him to a house not far from the building where the firefight had taken place, put him in bed, kept him warm, and dressed his wound. Someone donated a bottle of antibiotics, to try to fight off infection, but Hank Saunders had done a quiet triage and given a small shake of his head. There was no point in wasting the pills. Herb had lost a lot of blood, he had some severe internal injuries, and they didn't have the medical facilities or equipment to treat him. Mike wouldn't have been able to perform surgery even if he wasn't shot.

Mike and Carl were taken to the same house, at least for now, to make it more convenient for Hank to see to their care. Both men were on cots in the living room, where they slept and grumbled and were coddled by their wives as much as possible. Carl was in and out, but woke every time they tried to rouse him. Mike's wound, painful as it was, was much less serious.

As far the families of the deceased four of the five men, the children were the utmost concern for the community. Without a Child Protective Services, there was no way they could rescue from them from the drug-filled squalor they lived in. The children did not go to the school nor would Zoe Lawrence and any of the other wives force them to. The spouses were all drug addicted, and it was a sad circumstance, that nobody could come out with a solution for. Cedes decided to leave their situation in the hands of the community pastors and hoped that they would get the help they needed if not for themselves than for the kids. Sam thought without the men providing them with drugs, the women would go through withdrawal but eventually would become clean and hopefully would reach out to their families for help in feeding and taking care of their kids.

After three days has past, a half dozen people, including the couple who owned the house and had gladly allowed it to be turned into a field hospital, all still gathered in the den and waited to see if the injured would recover. Bailey didn't leave her post beside Herb. She prayed, she quietly cried. Sometimes Herb roused and said a few words to her, and she held his hand.

When Bailey had to use the bathroom, she asked Cedes to take her place watching over Herb. Sam was still not willing to let her out of his sight for long so he went into the bedroom with her.

Herb's breathing was laborious, and getting slower. He opened his eyes and frowned in hazy confusion when he looked at Cedes. "Bailey?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"She's gone to the bathroom," Cedes said, taking his hand.

He drew a shallow breath, focused on her. "Take care of her," he whispered. "She's . . . my heart."

Cedes wanted to say he'd be fine, but couldn't bring herself to lie to him. Tears stung her eyes. "I promise that I will."

Sam put his hand on her shoulder. He saw death in that bed and heard the death rattle. God knew he'd seen more than his share, and recognized it. Herb wouldn't last another hour.

Herb closed his eyes, drifted off again. Cedes sat there, still holding his hand, until Bailey returned and took her place.

She stood and went into Sam's arms, rested her head on his chest. He wouldn't swear to it, but he was almost positive she whispered "I love you" into his shirt.

He walked her out into the dim hallway, lit by a single candle, and once more folded her close. "Move in with me," he murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Okay," she said without hesitation.

Half an hour later Herb quietly died.

A joint funeral was held for Herb and Paul, the following afternoon after Herb died. It was a cold, gray day, with another dusting of snow on the ground. A lot had changed in less than a week's time. Brett had built the two coffins, and a handful of local men who hadn't volunteered in the past dug the graves at the edge of the cemetery, using nothing more than shovels and their own strength. They were alarmed by what had happened and had been pretty much shamed into making the decision to become involved.

There was strength in numbers, and they now added themselves to the list to be called on.

Most of the community came to the funeral. Cedes studied the faces in the crowd. Some she knew, many she didn't, but almost everyone who'd heard what had happened attended. Many wore black formal clothes that hadn't been worn in a while. Most had walked, while a few had used precious gasoline to drive here. Cedes had driven herself, with Carmen, Bailey, and Bree in tow. She couldn't see either of the older women handling the walk well.

Bailey had stopped crying a while back, though her eyes were red and she trembled. She had been Herb's reason for everything and, imperfect as he was, he had been her center. Carmen stood to one side of the new widow. Tina Cohen Chang was on the other side, a steadying hand resting on Bailey's arm. Paul's widow had similar support, both physical and emotional. Dave appeared to be in a daze maybe the shock of it all like his dad's death was not real to him. He probably was in denial.

Roz had insisted on attending the funeral, but Cedes and Carmen had demanded that she stay in bed—at Cedes's house, until the evidence of violence in her own home could be cleared away—and rest. There were too many gentle hills in the cemetery, too many potential pitfalls. The last thing they needed was for her to take another fall.

As the preacher's words came to an end, Carmen stepped forward and began singing "Precious Lord" in her alto voice, a familiar song one most of the funeral goers would know. People began joining in, their voices rising in the cold air. Cedes tried to join in but her throat was too tight, and she couldn't get the words out. She reached out and grabbed Sam's hand. He threaded his fingers through hers and held on tight. His hand in hers grounded her, and when the time came she was reluctant to let him go.

When the funeral was over, Sam hung back while Cedes made the rounds, hugging Bailey and Dave, as well as Paul's widow, offering her condolences and her prayers. Bree got a big hug, too, many of them, from a lot of different people. She was a kid and she'd experienced too many near death episodes in the last few days. There was a new look in Bree's eyes, an older, fiercer expression. Death had touched her at a young age, when she lost her parents, and now this unnecessary bloodbath had further aged her cousin. She could never go back to being a kid.

Sam stayed close behind Cedes and the others as they walked toward the car, sharply watching over his . . . well, hell, his family. They, and Bailey, were crowded into Cedes's small house. No one wanted Bailey to go home alone, to that empty house on the mountain. It was a nice house, but it was also isolated with all those empty rental cabins in the neighborhood. Sam's house was the closest one that was occupied, and wasn't exactly easy to get to.

Cedes fished her keys out of her pocket; Sam reached out and snagged them from her, and she gave him a surprised look. "What—?"

"Bree," he called, and the girl turned toward him. He tossed the keys to her.

She deftly caught them, her gaze flaring with joy. "Yes!" she hissed, clutching the keys.

"Sam!" Cedes said in alarm. "She's only fifteen!"

"Does she have a permit and has she had driving lessons?"

"She got her learner's permit a few months back, and she's had a few lessons. But—"

"Think she can handle the short distance to your house?"

"I guess; It's not that far," she conceded. "And Lord knows there isn't much traffic." There were a lot of pedestrians, though, and she wasn't sure how much of a danger Bree would be to them.

"Let her drive. She will have two licensed drivers in the SUV with her. I would like for you to come home with me."

Come home with me. That phrase was as tantalizing as the When we have sex that had haunted her for . . . well, hours, before it had actually happened.

"I really should see everyone safe at home."

"You really should come home with me and let me take care of you for a while. Bree can handle the rest. We'll come down and check on them first thing tomorrow morning. I promise."

Bree had been listening. She spun around and mouthed to Cedes, "We'll be fine. Please go!"

Cedes nodded, and as the women got into her Honda, Sam lifted her into the passenger side of his truck. She was definitely sore from Lawrence's kicks, her leg and thigh were deeply bruised. Carmen had made a couple of poultices that had helped ease the soreness, but she still felt it.

"The community patrol met this morning," Sam said as he pulled onto the road.

"I didn't know. I would've been there."

"You needed your rest," he grumbled. "We voted on what to do with Rick. Tomorrow morning a group of us will escort him a few miles out and see him on his way. He'll have a couple bottles of water and some food, but from there he'll be on his own. I voted against the food, but I was overruled."

"Banishment."

"Yep."

"A bullet to the head might have been kinder." She could not imagine being on her own in this world.

"I brought that up, too." His voice was grim. "If Carl had died there probably would've been more votes for execution, but he's going to recover."

Just ahead, Bree carefully guided Cedes's SUV onto the side road that would take her and her passengers home. She even used her turn signal. She likely wouldn't see—Cedes hoped she was paying attention to the road instead of watching her rearview mirror—but Cedes gave her a thumbs-up.

"We've also decided to block off all the roads coming into the area," Sam continued. "This won't keep everyone out, but we won't have anyone driving in once that's done. And we're going to set up lookouts and booby traps."

She could only imagine a group like Lawrence and his friends with a handful of vehicles, goodness knows how many weapons, and plenty of gas. The damage they could do would be unimaginable. Access to the area had to be controlled, because their lives could depend on it.

Sam turned onto Jones Cove Lane and then Cove Mountain Road. They were headed home. Home. She hadn't moved her things there, not yet, but she had no doubt that whatever they had, they were in a fully committed relationship, and it was permanent, and that his home was now her home as well. What was hers was his and what was his was hers.

Maybe it didn't make much sense, given what had happened in the past few days, but Cedes knew she'd be okay. Roz and Bree would eventually be fine. Matt would come home when he could, and he'd be fine. They couldn't know what the coming months would bring, but with Sam by her side she felt as if she could do anything.

She had never felt so strong.

He deftly steered the truck over the big rock, then they maneuvered the steep drive until he reached the house. "Stay there love," he said, and came around the truck to lift her out of it.

"I'm alright," she said. "Sore, but okay."

"Humor me baby."

They went up the steps to the porch, and the spectacular view took her attention. The valley spread out before them. "I should've packed a bag," she said as she walked the porch to the prime spot where Sam had positioned a couple of chairs. She imagined that hey would sit here a lot.

"Tomorrow, when we go back and check on everyone," Sam said. "I have an extra toothbrush, and I promise you won't need nightclothes."

No, she probably wouldn't. "What's the current condom count?"

"One." He didn't sound the least bit concerned.

She sure wasn't, but she knew she wasn't ready for a baby after what they had just experienced, so they would have to practice withdrawal until the other methods of birth control could be implemented. Because she was definitely not punishing herself by not having sex with the man she loved with her entire heart.

Practical matters intruded on her thoughts. When Roz's house had been set to rights and she, Bree, and Carmen had moved back into it, Bailey could stay and live in Cedes's house. She might want a roommate, and it wouldn't be impossible for her to move in with Roz, but it would be crowded. That would be up to the women involved, not her decision at all, but she could certainly offer her house to the new widow. She knew that she definitely wouldn't be living there anymore.

Paul's widow had her family including their eldest unmarried son Dave in the area, but still, it was only right that others help her out, when and if she needed it. Did she have heat? Plenty of food? Cedes had known Paul a little better than she knew his wife, but now the widow was on her list of responsibilities.

The Carlisles hadn't been at the funeral. That wasn't a reason for concern, but she did want to check on them. Maybe tomorrow, when she went to her house to collect a few things.

The land below looked so peaceful from this vantage point. It wasn't, not really, and wouldn't be for some time. They would have quiet days and days that were not so quiet

Sam wrapped his arms around her. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, rubbing his chin against her temple.

"What makes you think I'm thinking about anything?" She folded her arms over his, burrowing into the heat of his body.

"It's written all over your face; like I have told you before, you don't have to say a word," he said then continued. "Besides, you're always in planning mode."

"Not always." She turned in his arms and looked up, smiling.

He narrowed those laser green eyes at her and pulled her closer before dropping down on bended knee. "I almost lost you again, and I know that the pain I felt at just the thought of losing you, makes me know that I want no scratch that I need to spend the rest of my life loving, cherishing, and protecting you. You have brought me almost back to the man I used to be just from you being in your sweet presence. And I don't want to ever imagine living this life without you. Will you make me the happiest man in the universe and put me out of my misery of having to say these many words at one time and marry me?"

Cedes was speechless first then tears of joy sprung from her eyes as she nodded her head yes still unable to trust her voice. And leaned over to kiss the man that she loved.

After kissing Cedes and now wanting to hear her voice, Sam decided to tease her. "I need you to turn those incessant thinking skills to planning our Christmas wedding. I expect your crazy ass aunt will try to take over and plan it all, so be strong, my love."

Despite the sad day, Cedes laughed and tilted her head to kiss the underside of the man she loved jaw.

"You'll just have to keep her distracted for me, White Chocolate."

One month later on December 25th at 2 pm, Brother Joe married Sam and Cedes at their cabin with the Carlisles, McConaughey their ring bearer (carrying Cedes's parents rings that they were temporarily using until they could buy new rings for each other), Emma, Burt, Carole, Mike, Tina, Bailey, Brett, Roz, Bree, and Carmen in attendance.

It was supposed to be the saddest Christmas of their lives, but it ended up being one of the most special with the onlookers looking on and seeing how the power of love and a CME had brought together two people who loved each other completely and unconditionally.

Cedes, who wore a red dress re-designed and altered by Tina, only had eyes for Sam, who was dressed in his Marine dress uniform with white pants, and Sam only had eyes for Cedes even with the feast that was set out in front of them for their reception. She was a vision in red to him. Naturally she was beautiful, but all dressed up for their wedding she was breathtaking.

Sam had brought out the best for his bride and his guests with a feast of roast turkey (that he hunted, cleaned, dressed, and roasted himself), boxed macaroni and cheese, canned green beans and candied yams, rice, fireplace fried cornbread that Carmen made fresh and referred to as hoecakes, and an unfrozen cheesecake. Also, Tina and Mike had brought the alcohol along with her guitar that she used to sing Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me as Cedes walked down her makeshift aisle. Bree had borrowed Cedes's charged cell phone to take pictures and videos of the wedding and reception.

After the ceremony, Sam brought out his own guitar and serenaded Cedes with the song Back At One by Brian McKnight. He kissed his bride again during their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Evans and entertained Roz by doing a body roll while dancing to the music that Sam's friend Jake was able to play as their DJ with songs from his cell phone through their ham radios. It was a wedding that none of the guests would ever forget especially Cedes singing At Last and All I Want For Christmas to Sam shocking everyone with just how truly talented she was. The shy caterpillar background singer had blossomed into a confident butterfly who was able to soar with love during perilous times.

The guests after dancing and eating the best meal they had eaten in long time soon had to leave before dark and attend their own family or community Christmas festivities. Which was perfect for Sam, he didn't have to kick them out for overstaying their welcome. The married couple would spend their honeymoon in their cabin alone and not have to worry about unexpected guests especially with Sam rolling the rock back in place which he had moved before the wedding as soon as guests had made it down the hill.

Their wedding night was spent entirely in bed as the couple expressed their love with their bodies as they made love for the first time as man and wife.

"I really love you Sam Evans." Cedes said afterwards feeling as if she was glowing from the inside out as her husband took his time and pleasured her repeatedly with her thanking God for the Changs' wedding gift of a box of condoms. Sam had took the vow of with my body I worship thee seriously. The man knew how to make her feel as if he loved every atom of her being. That tongue of his alone should be registered as a lethal weapon of pleasure.

"And I will always love you, Cedes Evans," the happy and well satisfied groom replied as they drifted off to sleep in their marital bed alit by the flames of the roaring fire that was definitely not roasting chestnuts in their bedroom's fireplace.

Epilogue

It was September again a year after the CME had hit, and as usual the summer heat was holding on. The best part of the day was when the sun had set and the day cooled. Their work was done for the day, the breeze through the open windows cooled the cabin, and they could just be alone together.

Home. This was home.

Dinner dishes done—after a meal of fish, a salad from their garden's produce of tomatoes, cucumbers, and wild greens, again—they sat on the porch and watched the sunset fade. Cedes absently stroked her four months pregnant stomach, which seemed to be growing more by the day though Roz laughed at her and insisted she was barely showing. Although she was the only one, she could feel the baby moving now, flutters and light kicks, and it still made her breathless with joy. A baby! She was having Sam's baby! This time last year having a family was a dream she'd given up on, and now she had a husband who made her breath catch in her throat, and a baby on the way.

This wasn't the way she'd always imagined her pregnancy—if she ever had one—would go. There was no ultrasound, no way to know if their baby was a boy or a girl. Mike Chang did keep track of her blood pressure and blood sugar and so far that was okay, and she tried to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, but that was the extent of her prenatal care.

She should probably worry more, but what good would worrying do? In a perfect world she'd have an obstetrician, prenatal vitamins, and maternity clothes. Luckily for her, the weight she had lost meant that her old clothes now fit her just fine mostly because she wore her old clothes baggy anyways. She'd have weird cravings for ice cream and pickles, which only one would be immediately satisfied. After a summer where the gardens had been very productive, she could manage the pickles, but the ice cream was another matter.

She sighed. Who was she kidding? This was a perfect world. She was happier than she'd ever imagined she could be.

Sam sat beside her in the growing darkness, holding her hand. Yeah, this was perfect.

"I hope the power comes back on before the baby is born," she said wistfully. There still wouldn't be a functioning hospital, but lights, heat . . . boiled water.

"Jake has told us that new grids are coming online every day," he assured her. "We'll have power before you know it. We wouldn't have planned on having a baby this winter if I wasn't sure we would have electricity, honey."

Sam and Jake checked in with each other about once a week. She had even got to talk to Sam's family through Jake. He would talk to them monthly, and she now knew her mother-in-law, Mary and father-in-law Dwight. His brother Stevie had been drafted into the military, so she didn't get a chance to talk to him.

Some of Puckerman's news was good, some wasn't. In the year since the CME a lot of people had died—not the ninety percent the powers that be had initially predicted, but still . . . more than two billion were estimated to have perished. The world they'd known was gone, blasted to smithereens by a blast from the sun. Civilization might recover function in a decade, but not the way it had been before. The best and the worst of humanity had been revealed, not just in their community but around the globe. Survivors had found a way to do just that—survive—and many, like her and Sam, had made the best of a world turned upside down.

Jake's wife, Marley, was pregnant herself. Maybe, eventually, their babies could play together, be friends, grow up, and bond over being one of many CME babies. What a generation they would be, a whole new Boomer generation. As Brother Joe had said, people had to entertain themselves somehow, and going by the baby boom here in the area, Cedes knew what form that entertainment had taken.

This past year had taken a toll on everybody. A number of residents had died from accidents or illnesses that would have been prevented or treated before the CME. Their retired veterinarian had died in his sleep, throwing all their medical care in the hands of Mike Chang and Hank Saunders. Still, the number of losses had been smaller than one might have predicted, but each one had been deeply felt. A few strangers had wandered in, in spite of the community patrol's barricades. None of them had been what anyone would call upstanding citizens, except for a nurse and her family, who they had gladly welcomed. Penny had joined with Mike and Hank to provide medical care for the valley. The other wanderers had been sent on their way, encouraged sometimes by Sam's shotgun. He had a way of looking at people that made them want to be elsewhere.

Cedes's family was doing well. A fully healed Roz had reclaimed her position as community leader, with Bailey—who had moved into Cedes's house just days after Cedes had moved in with Sam—at her side. They made a kick-ass team.

Their school system, while not sophisticated, was up and running. Carmen taught cooking classes. Helping Roz oversee the community wasn't her idea of fun, but she loved cooking. Harmony was over the little kids and Emma took care of the high school aged students.

Bailey walked to Herb's grave, with flowers in hand when she could find them, once a week. It was a long walk, but Bailey was stronger than her husband had ever given her credit for. A couple of widowers had asked to keep her company, but she wasn't ready for that, she might never be.

The Carlisles had survived the winter, though Mary Jo was noticeably more frail. McConaughey was a pretty awesome guard dog, as if he knew the old couple was his responsibility. Sam checked on them at least every other day. He imagined one day McConaughey's job would be over, and the dog would come home to them.

Bree had turned sixteen, and they'd managed to throw her a sweet sixteen party, complete with a cake Carmen had cooked in her iron skillet over an open fire. With icing. It hadn't been a pretty cake, and there hadn't been much icing, but . . . it was cake.

Thanks to Sam's ham radio and Jake Puckerman's military connections, they'd gotten word to Matt that his family was well and being cared for, and they'd gotten word back that Matt was extremely busy but okay. There was no way to know when he'd be able to make it home, but hearing he was safe made them all feel better.

They sat on the porch until darkness had completely taken over the sky, then went back inside. Bedtimes had adjusted to whenever it grew dark, which suited her just fine.

She snuggled against Sam's hard, warm body, her arm curled around his waist, their child a small swell between them. "We need to pick a couple of baby names for a boy or a girl. I am thinking Sean-Micah or Camden James if he is a boy or Marisol Sierra or Sydney Jocelyn if she is a girl," Cedes said sleepily, already relaxed.

"Not until I see his face; will I be willing to agree to a name," he said, not for the first time.

"Or see her face."

Sam groaned. The idea of having a daughter kind of terrified him, which she thought was hilarious. He was already a stand in girl dad for Bree.

"I want at least four," she said, just to tease him.

"Babies?"

"Little girls."

Again he only groaned, followed by a sweet kiss to her forehead.

She was likely the only person who would ever call anything about her husband sweet.

"I'm going to miss this," he said. "Once the power is on again, we won't be so isolated. We'll have to let the world back in. You will have to meet my family face to face."

"Your family cannot be worse than Roz. And I would like air-conditioning, functioning hospitals and hair salons, television, ice cream, doughnuts, salt and vinegar Kettle chips . . ." she argued.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

"Oreos," she continued, "pizza, French fries, hamburgers that doesn't come from a cow whose name we know."

He laughed. She loved that she could make this hard man laugh.

She stroked his face, so full of love she could barely contain it. He remained cautious where other people were concerned, and he probably always would. He'd never be the life of the party, and neither would she, but both of them had been changed for the better by loving one another.

"We'll be fine, no matter what," she said.

He kissed her again, this time on the mouth. The power of that kiss never ceased to amaze her. It was electric. Now that she was over her morning sickness—which had been the absolute worst causing her to lose even more weight—she responded eagerly to him and they made love as they did most nights. He was more inclined to have her on top or from behind, but she could still tolerate his weight and loved it.

Afterward, she rested with her head on his shoulder and began drifting to sleep, so content she felt as if she were really glowing.

Then a lamp came on.

It was what Sam called their canary-in-the-mine lamp, the one he'd plugged in when Jake began talking about some of the grids coming back online.

The light went off, flashed on again . . . and stayed on.

Cedes started to sing do you remember the 21st night of September, it was when the lights came back on, in our home, Sammy. A remix of Earth, Wind, & Fire's "September."

"We'll deal with this tomorrow," Sam said laughing at her, then reached out and turned off the lamp before he began kissing and making love to the love of his life again and again.

THE END