Adventures of Ellie and Joel

It'll Be Okay

Ellie sat on the edge of the bed in the small motel room, her knees pulled up to her chest as she hugged them tightly. She tried to blink back the tears that threatened to spill over, but it was no use. The memories of everything she had lost flooded her mind, and she felt like she was drowning.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when she heard the door creak open. Joel walked in and saw her sitting there, tears streaming down her face.

"Ellie," he said, his voice soft and gentle. "What's wrong?"

Ellie didn't answer. She just buried her face in her knees and cried harder.

Joel walked over and sat down next to her, putting an arm around her.

"It's okay," he said, his voice soothing. "You don't have to be strong all the time."

Ellie shook her head, but she didn't pull away from him. She felt safe with Joel, like nothing could hurt her when he was around.

"I fucking miss them," she finally whispered. "I miss Riley and Sam. I miss everyone who died because of this damn stupid virus."

Joel squeezed her shoulder. "I know, kiddo. I miss them too."

They sat there in silence for a while, Joel holding her as she cried. Ellie felt like she could finally let out all the pain that she had been holding inside.

After a few minutes, Ellie started to calm down. She pulled away from Joel and wiped her eyes.

"Thanks," she said, her voice hoarse.

Joel gave her a small smile. "Anytime."

Ellie looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time since they had arrived at the motel. He looked tired, like he had been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. She realized that he had been just as affected by everything that had happened as she had.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concern on her face.

Joel shrugged. "I'm fine. Just tired."

Ellie knew he was lying, but she didn't push it. She knew that Joel was a private person, and that he didn't like to talk about his feelings.

Instead, she got up from the bed and went to the small kitchenette to make some tea since they were out of coffee. She put the kettle on and rummaged through the cabinets until she found a box of tea bags.

She chose a calming chamomile blend and put it into two cups. When the kettle whistled, she poured the hot water over the tea bags and let it steep. She carried the cups back to the bed and handed one to Joel.

"Here," she said. "Drink this. It'll help you relax."

Joel took the cup from her and sipped the tea. Ellie watched him, a small smile on her face.

"Thanks kiddo," he said after a few minutes.

Ellie grinned, "You're welcome old man."

They sat there in silence, sipping their tea. Ellie felt like they had reached a new level of understanding. They had been through so much together, and they knew each other better than anyone else. When they had finished their tea, Joel got up from the bed.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get some sleep."

Ellie nodded and crawled under the covers. Joel turned off the light and lay down next to her. She felt his arm wrap around her, and she snuggled closer to him.

"Goodnight, Joel," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Ellie," he replied, his voice soft.

Ellie closed her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep. She felt safe and loved, like nothing could hurt her as long as Joel was by her side.