When a virus sweeps through North America, killing over 75% of the population, those left behind have to make do however they can. Many are stuck in place: on trains, at work, at airports. Some move around, scavenging and doing their best to stay al...
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TRIGGER WARNING: blood, illness, and implied death towards the end of the chapter, in Anjali and Venus' sections.
— MALLS were not Carolyn's favorite places.
She wasn't big on crowds, especially with her four-year-old son. Theo was just at the right age where he wanted to see everything, and if Carolyn wasn't careful, he would get away from her because he saw something shiny or colorful. He was like that: easily distractible and very fast. But Carolyn refused to be one of those moms who kept their kid on a literal leash—even if she was what a college friend once called an "overprotective" mom. She wanted Theo to be safe and saw no problem with that, but the kid-leash seemed wrong to her. He was her son, not a pet.
But that meant that Carolyn had to keep a very close eye on Theo while at the mall. And she had to keep an eye on the crowds around them, and on the ground to ensure neither of them stepped on something or tripped over anything. And she had to look out for the store she wanted to shop at.
Needless to say, taking Theo to the mall was a lot.
She'd promised him, though, that when she had a day off he could come to the mall with her to find a birthday gift for his beloved Gramma. Carolyn had a hard time denying Theo such things, especially considering how great her mom had been through the whole divorce process, with both watching Theo and dealing with Carolyn's own emotions. So yeah, helping Theo pick out a gift for her was important to Carolyn. And, of course, important to Theo.
He tugged on her hand. "Mommy, come on, faster!" He looked back at her, his brown curls messy as always. Carolyn could never tame his hair, and had long since given up trying. He was pulling her towards a toy shop that caught his eye. Luckily, it was next to the Ulta Carolyn actually was aiming to go to, but Theo would not be nearly as interested in makeup and perfume as he was in toys.
Carolyn reached forward and picked up the boy. "We can look at toys after we get Gramma's present, okay?" she said, ruffling his hair.
Theo wrapped his arms around Carolyn's neck, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to be secure. "Okay Mommy," he said, leaning his head against her shoulder.
Her heart swelled with love, and Carolyn kissed the side of his head, carrying him into the shop. "Now, let's see what Gramma might like..."
—
DEVON kicked the side of the counter idly. He leaned across the countertop, his slender body squeezed into the space between the ice cream cooler and the register, fingers tapping on the countertop. It was, for lack of a better word, a very slow day at the Groveland Dairy Queen.
