"So that's it," Sam said with a slight tremble in his voice,"We're not married anymore?"
"Yes." Hannah replied softly. "Three years ago the Thanos Act voided all marriages, rental agreements, and contracts with the unlucky 50%."
"Maybe they'll undo the Thanos act now that we're back," Sam said hopefully. "We could have a second wedding, only this time we'll dress up and invite our friends."
Their wedding was a rushed affair that took place just days after Hannah's sixteenth birthday. There was no cake, white dress, or guests beyond their parents. The only mementoes they had were a handful of pictures taken by Sam's father. If given a second chance, Sam would give Hannah the fairytale wedding she dreamed of. It was the least he could do for the woman he loved with all his heart.
Hannah half heartedly pushed a forkful of pancake around her plate.
"It's not quite that simple. A lot of people have moved into vacated houses and taken over abandoned business." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "Some people have even remarried and adopted orphaned children."
Sam had already accepted the redecorated apartment and Hannah's new haircut. Those superficial things didn't really matter. It was his marriage ending before their third anniversary that had his stomach in knots. Hannah hadn't even reacted when he brought up remarrying. What if she asked him to go back to whenever he'd been for the past five years? He wouldn't blame her given how rough their second year of marriage had been.
Like all couples, Hannah and Sam had their ups and downs. Their second year of marriage, marked by high school graduation and a move to Chicago, was mostly downs. Hannah worked a job she hated while Sam fought tooth and nail to make it in the art world. What little time they spent together was wasted on chores or petty arguments. It wasn't uncommon for Sam to spend the night sleeping on the couch. Things were rough, but not divorce level rough. They would have worked things eventually. Now Sam was faced with another man's toothbrush in the bathroom.
Hannah reached over the table and squeezed Sam's hands. Her once soft fingers had sprouted a set of rough calluses.
"We should also talk about Julia." She said without meeting his eyes.
Sam's heart skipped a beat. He'd already lost both parents. His baby sister couldn't be gone too.
"What happened to her?" Sam asked with a wild look in his eyes. "Is she okay? Where is she?"
Sam definitely wouldn't be earning that world's best brother mug this year. Between grieving his father and coming to terms with the current date he hadn't even thought to ask about Julia.
"Can I see her?" Sam begged. "Where is she?"
"She's not here." Hannah looked down at a blue mark on the table. "I sent her to New York to live with your Grandmother."
"You what?" Sam exclaimed, horrified by what must have become of his sweet, innocent sister. "How could you send her to live with the Wicked Witch of the East! If you cared at all about Julia it would be her, not Ian, sleeping in the guest bedroom!"
"I do care about her!" Hannah's lips thinned. "I would do anything for her."
"She needed you! " Sam gripped the edge of the table and squeezed with all his might. "Why didn't you take her in when my dad died?"
"I did!" She gestured towards the guest bedroom that had once been Sam's studio. "Why do you think I have a guest bedroom, it's not like anyone wants to come visit Chi-raq!"
The sound of footsteps on the roof caused the hair on Sam's neck to raise. Why could Ian live there while Julia wasted away in the hands of a heartless old witch?
"Then why isn't she here now?" Sam growled. "Is your boyfriend not a fan of kids?"
Hannah stomped across the room and threw open the living room curtains. "You see that?" She asked, pointing to the burned remains of an elementary school. "Some lunatic blocked all the exits and set the building on fire. I'm not sure if he exists, but I thanked God that day for keeping Julia at home with the flu." Hannah bit her lip and blinked back tears. "I sent her to your grandmother that same day."
Sam hadn't eaten anything, but still felt like throwing up. What kind of a sicko would murder children? He noticed that each window had 6 thick metal bars. The neighborhood saw the occasional drug deal or pick pocketing, but nothing that warranted such extreme security measures. What had been going on in the windy city?
Calmed by the scent of campfire smoke, Sam went to Hannah's side and took her hand. They'd loved each other since the day they met at the River Fork High Homecoming bonfire. He'd trust her with his life. How could he have said those things to her? Hannah would never have sent Julia away if she had any other choice.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you." Sam said, ashamed by his outburst. "I take it from your new windows that things haven't been easy here."
"Things have gotten better, but it was pretty touch and go for awhile." Hannah said, pointing to the bars. "Ian helped me put those up after a string of armed robberies in the neighborhood. We weren't even dating then, but he still took the time to make sure that I was safe." Sam's chest tightened. It should have been him making sure that Hannah was safe.
"If the city is so dangerous than why did you bring Julia here?" Sam asked, anger suddenly renewed. "Why not go stay with your family in Iowa or find some place in the suburbs?"
"You have to believe me, I had no other choice." Hannah closed the blinds and sat down on the couch. "My parents both disappeared and my aunt wasn't willing to take in a non family member. She said my brother and I could stay, but Julia had to leave."
Sam's jaw dropped. "Your aunt Marge, the woman who sends us cookies every month?"
Hannah nodded. "I tried to find a job in Iowa, but most businesses were only hiring family members." She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. "I was down to my last 50 dollars when the CEO of Thor's Hammer called with a job offer. I didn't want to accept, but I had no other choice."
Sam couldn't even imagine how terrified Hannah must have been. It had taken her months to get used to city life. Living there alone while parenting a grieving 11 year old must have been a nightmare. It was a stretch, but maybe the reasons for Ian's presence were more practical than personal.
"How long has Ian lived here?" Sam asked as he fiddled with his wedding band.
"A little over two years." She paused before adding, "He was never here while Julia was. We didn't start dating until after the Thanos Act."
Sam looked around the apartment and was confronted with evidence of his wife's new relationship. Men's shoes were lined up like soldiers by the front door. Photos of the happy couple littered the mantle and refrigerator. Ian's breakfast remained untouched on the kitchen table. Over the past five years Hannah had built a new life for herself. He just hoped there was still room for him.
Sam heard a loud thud followed by a string of curse words. Hannah looked up at the ceiling with a frown on her face. "Sounds like Ian's having trouble with the generator. I should go and make sure that he doesn't electrocute himself again."
He didn't want her to go, but he desperately needed some time to come up with a game plan. How could he get his sister back and send Ian packing? It wouldn't be easy, but he wasn't giving his family up without a fight.
"Where is my stuff?" Sam asked as Hannah headed out the door. "I could really use a shower and a change of clothes."
Hannah paused half way out the door. "I'm sorry, Sam. I got rid of your things when Ian moved in."
Sam took a deep breath and bit his tongue to suppress an angry remark. "It's okay, it's just stuff." The thought of his paintings and favorite hoodie rotting away in a landfill was a tough pill to swallow, but he had to keep his temper in check. One more outburst would send Hannah running straight to Ian. Then he'd never get the chance to save their marriage.
A crash followed by a scream caused Sam's ears to ring. Hannah looked at Sam then up at the roof. "I have to go. Just borrow a change of clothes from Ian, he won't mind."