I wake up, this time I haven't lost my breath, and my pulse is under control. Everything's alright. I feel my face and notice a tear, I lost my father.
I hear the voices downstairs and soon after a familiar voice yelling.
"R! We're Home!" Julie quiets Nora down as I suspect they go into the kitchen.
It's time I told her. I shouldn't hide it anymore. I put on a hoodie and walk down the stairs. Her and Nora are unpacking bags. Clearly some supplies that they picked up, a flashlight, batteries, and what may or may not be liquor. I laughed at how pointlessly they tried to hide it. Julie looked over her shoulder to me.
"You're up? Feeling any better?"
"Yeah." I smile and walk over to help with the bags. Supplies have been easier to find lately but with so many people being cured its only a matter of time till supplies become scarce.
I reach over and pick up a package of frozen pad thai. Clearly they went up to the airport, I hesitate for a moment, knowing that some boneys are still there.
Julie reaches and grabs it from my dazed hands.
"Had to grab um while their still good." She looks at my concerned face. "Don't worry Rosso and a couple others went with us. No need to make that face." She kisses me on the cheek and I relax. Knowing I am on a mission and I have to tell her.
"I have to talk to you about something." Her and Nora stop moving, Nora puts down the flashlights. "Well that's my cue I'll be back in a bit guys."
Julie waves her off and looks back at me with concern. "Julie something happened. Last night I started having dreams or memories I guess."
"Oh" She slumps down into a chair and continues to watch me.
"Stuff about my family, my mom and my dad and the people I was with when the infection started."
She pushes her eyebrows together and tries to anticipate where I'm headed with this. I honestly have no idea.
"I don't know everything. But they've happened a lot lately. I know I played piano, my dad died when I was younger, and…" I pause for a moment and she waits with curiosity. "And there was a girl I tried to protect when everything was happening."
"You loved her?" Is all she says to me. She looks up and I don't know how to answer her. She sighs and looks down again. "I'm sorry about your dad. And maybe there's a chance that your mom is still alive, and the girl too." She stands up and walks towards me, I expect that she's mad. I look away and avoid her eyes. She puts her arms around me and hugs me, leaning her face against my chest.
"We'll figure this out okay. I love you." She releases me and walks out of the room.
I sit there motionless, wondering if I made the right choice to tell her or not.
As I sit there another memory comes into my vision, this time I am not asleep but I see it so clearly.
"You can't just send me away. You honestly think its safe there! Don't you dare do this to me!"
"Mom please its safe there. They say it's the safest place to be. I'll bring her back, and I'll find you there." She looks at me furious with tears in her eyes that she refuses to wipe away.
"Mom please. Anna's okay I know it. I talked to her two days ago. She says its safe where she is all I need to do is get there."
"That's miles away! I can't lose everyone, first your father now her and you expect me to just let you go!"
She pins her small body against me and I'm not sure if she's trying to hug me or punch me, or possibly both. She sighs and her body relaxes a moment as she grabs my red hoodie and cries into my arm.
"You promise me you'll make it back?"
I push her away a moment and nod. "I promise, we'll both be back."
She sighs again. "Okay bring your sister back home."
She hands me a photograph and I look at it a moment my mother and I are sitting on a chair with a small blonde girl with big blue eyes next to me. This is a different girl then I had seen before. This must be my sister, and I suppose I never made it to her in time.