Zombie Soap 2: Conspiracy

Thirty-Nine

Taylor: Part III

"Do you ever get overwhelmed by how large the universe is and how it keeps expanding?" Taylor asked, pointing at the gray, overcast sky.

He and Ashley lay sprawled on the asphalt pavement, feet pointing different directions while their heads touched. They'd finished their joints awhile ago, leaving Taylor relaxed and content.

Ashley hummed. "Nope. I never had time to ponder those things. In California, I was always on the move with photography and fitness. It gave me a sense of purpose after my divorce."

Taylor tried to face her, but flopped back to his position when the world lurched. "You were married?"

"Only for two years," she drawled. "It wasn't a good match." Ashley didn't elaborate; her tone made it clear she hadn't been happy, and the topic wasn't open to discussion.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to find you," Taylor murmured.

Ashley sighed. "It was a long time ago. You were already estranged from your parents by then."

Her words curdled inside Taylor's stomach. He'd lost so many years of what could have been, all because he'd been his most authentic self. Dad seemed more supportive now, but nothing could fix the chasm the incident had created. Mom was gone, and Taylor didn't know how to speak to Dad.

Silence passed between them as the air gradually warmed and the sun rose higher in the sky, hidden behind a blanket of clouds. The wind bit his bare arms, but he hardly noticed the chill. Feet slapped the ground nearby, followed by heavy breathing as people jogged. A child giggled somewhere nearby, most likely out to play before the oncoming winter.

His thoughts drifted lazily — like someone on a pool lounger during a hot summer day — until they collided with old images of his dad teaching him to ride a bike or carrying him on his shoulders when they went to the zoo. All the times they laughed together rang clearly in his mind like they'd happened yesterday.

"Do you believe in fate?" he asked once he was sure he wouldn't croak.

"What do you mean?"

Ugh, how could he articulate his thoughts when words suddenly failed him? Stupid weed. Taylor rubbed his face. "Like... You and I haven't seen each other in years, yet you never left my family. The apocalypse happens, and here we are again."

Except for Mom. She suffered in a lab somewhere because Dad couldn't accept the loss. For all his faults, Taylor couldn't hate the man for clinging to hope. He might have done the same for any of his friends, exhausting every resource until death was the final option.

Ashley repositioned herself so they lay side by side. Then, she rested her hands on her flat belly and drew one leg up, planting her foot on the ground. "I don't know what I believe. Your dad funded this project after what happened t—"

She paused, seeming to stop herself from mentioning Mom. Not giving Taylor a chance to interrupt, she recovered and adjusted her words. "Anyway, the day they virus got out, we had an outbreak here with the influx of survivors. Despite the chaos, John stayed on everyone's butts to get you here. He's wanted to reach out for a long time, but he's too stubborn to say he's missed you. Just so you know, he would have moved Heaven and Hell to get you here."