Mom and Zombie Slayer

Chapter SIX

The next day, Elliott and I woke up to a beautiful sunrise. Summer was coming and Elliott was in an engaging mood. We got out of the car and I instructed him to stay close to me. He usually didn’t listen well to me but he must have sensed that things had changed. While he was playing around the car, I installed the car seat on the front seat. I thought for a minute to not using the car seat at all, but I was too scared of Elliott trying to jump on me while I drove, or jumping through the now broken window..

I let him run for an hour, before I called him back and gave him breakfast. Nothing fancy, alas. There was some leftover sandwiches from the day before and we had to eat them before they would go stale. I made a milk bottle with water and formula I kept in the diaper bag.  Elliott didn’t like the taste of it. He hadn’t had any formula in months.

“Mama, want milk. want milk!” His little hands wanted to throw the bottle, but  I left it by his side, in the car seat.

“That’s milk honey. Drink it when you will be ready.”

It took him a whole minute before taking the bottle from his side. Hunger won over stubbornness. He drank his milk and it made me smile. The simple things that were not changed, that couldn’t change. My little boy drinking his milk with a suction noise and a smile in his eyes.

With Elliott sitting by my side and facing the road, I took the map that I found in the glove compartment and I tried to estimate how far away I was from John. I estimated that I was about forty, forty-five hours away from him. And with Eliott, you could add at least 20 hours. Hard, but not impossible.

I put the map aside and looked at Mr. Parker’s possession. The cell phone. The cell phone! Why didn’t I think about this before?

I grabbed it and powered it without any difficulties. I went through the contacts and my heart broke when I saw that there was only one name in all of the address book. John.

With trembling fingers, I selected John’s name and waited while the phone was ringing at the other end. Somebody picked up the phone at the fifth ring.

"Parker? You have them? Are you on your way? Did.she.gave you any problem?"

I couldn't talk. The voice of my John! A voice I thought I would never hear again. I should have  cried, but I couldn't. I felt so much happiness. Elliott must have felt the change in the air because he took the bottle from his mouth and started to talk, calling for me.

"Annie? Is that you?"

"Yes, John, it's me. With Elliott. We are coming John."

John didn't say a thing for the longest time. I could hear his labored breath.

"Annie, you have to listen to me. Its just a question of time before the cellphone towers and electricity are shut down. You have to come, fast," He went straight in the middle.of the problem, just as I remembered it. It used to make me so mad. But I was so happy to talk to him and I knew very well that the situation we were in was something neither one of us ever imagined being in.

"I know. We are on our way. We are around New York City and we are leaving as soon as I hung up."

"Good.” And he added, after a second, “ I can't wait to see you. And the baby. I will explain everything to you."

"I know, John. I know."

"Is Parker around? I want to know when I can expect you guys."

"John, I.." How was I to tell him? I looked at Elliott and his smile recharged my courage. "John, Parker didn't make it. I'm sorry..." He just sighed. I knew he was affected by it because when he answered.me, his voice was shaking. "You have the address? When are you hoping to be here?"

"I'll be there in a few days John, in Colorado."

" Oh great! I'll..."

And just like that, the line was cut off.