Levi's Last Hope

10.

        LEVI SPENT THE REST OF HIS NIGHT with his back to Rosie's wall, pillow squished behind him. There was no point in trying to sleep. Not when his interactions with that thing replayed on repeat in his head.

        He kept wondering if he'd been mistaken. If the wound, dodgy eye, the strangled noises - all zombie aspects could have been a trick of the light. Maybe he hadn't woken up fully and imagined it, or could he have dreamt it?

        A heavy weight in his palm told him he hadn't. Levi's gun remained where it was since the encounter, in his hand with his finger resting on the safety, ready to click it off at a moment's notice.

        Levi didn't know what he was going to tell Rosie when she woke up. He didn't want to scare her. Thought it was best if he kept his mouth shut about the whole thing until he knew more, or until he'd processed it himself.

        Lily stirred first, shortly after the sun began to rise. He heard her cute little noises, all happy squeals and babbling. Levi finally lets go of his handgun, slipping it into the holster on his thigh just in time for Rosie to wake.

        "Morning, baby," she slurred sleepily, pulling Lily close and inhaling her scent. Lily kicked at her in response and Rosie moaned. "Okay, okay, I'm up."

        She sat, pulling Lily with her. It took her a second to glance down at Levi.

        "Morning, loves," he greeted, pulling himself to a stand using the edge of her bed. "Sleep ok?"

        Rosie nodded. Her hairband had fallen off at some point during the night, leaving her long hair tangled and messy. Levi wished she'd have it down more often. It suited her, made her look all that softer. "In the end, thanks to you."

        The words twisted at him. She shouldn't feel safe with him, not when he'd failed her last night. If he'd protected her properly that thing would have been dead.

        Levi cleared his throat and glanced away. "I'll prepare us some breakfast whilst you get ready. Can I make Lily anything?"

        He knew she breastfed but didn't know if the girl had moved onto solids.

        Rosie gave him a quiet laugh. "Yeah, if you can whip her up some fresh boob."

        Levi had thought as much. He shook his head with a chuckle as he retreated from the room. "Afraid that ain't a recipe I know how to make."

—

        It was not much longer before they joined him in the living room. Breakfast consists of tinned fruit - peaches and pineapple.

       "I know Lily's old enough to try solids now," Rosie mentioned, thinking back to their conversation moments before. She sat on the armchair opposite him whilst Lily perched on his lap. "But. . .It's scary. I'm worried she'll choke. I always thought I'd be able to try her on things like baby oatmeal or apple puree. Take it slow, you know? Don't have many options for that right now. Did you know you're supposed to watch their sodium intake? How the hell am I going to do that with things like tinned ham? It's drenched in salt. At this rate I'm going to be breastfeeding forever," she said, only half joking.

        Bless her. Levi wished he could fix it and then an idea comes to him and he glanced at the label on the back of his tinned peaches. Barely any salt. "We can cut up one of these, you want to try it?"

        Rosie looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. "Um. Can she?"

        He couldn't help but smile at her. "It's just fruit, love. Sugar levels ain't great, but she's not got any teeth to worry about rotting 'em yet. Once we're at the Isle of Wight we'll get her on that baby porridge you like the sound of, yeah?"