CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

AS MORE TOWNSFOLK busied themselves with restoring basic necessities to Everlast, Evie and I increasingly felt the stranger. Adel had officially dubbed us citizens, for which we thanked her. We hadn’t anywhere else to go. With half the town destroyed I wasn’t sure what being a citizen meant or where we’d spend the night. But that could wait.

I owed my daughter some quality time. It wasn’t movie night, but a shoot-em-up no longer seemed appropriate. Instead, we wandered south of town without direction or goal other than to be together.

An hour later we found ourselves atop a small knob overlooking a river bottom flush with green. Clumps of grey-bellied clouds continued to threaten with spits of rain, while allowing rays of sun to spotlight swaths of countryside. Not quite as breathtaking as Enchanted Rock, but equally as tranquil.

“What happens to your work now?” Evie rested her head on my shoulder.

“I think I’ve done enough.”

“Oh?”

“Others have already picked up where I left off.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“I was in it for the wrong reasons.”

“What reasons were those?” She gripped my arm.

“Namely trying to save someone who didn’t need to be saved.”

“I’m sorry, Dad. I was wrong.”

“What? Never.”

“Seriously.” She punched me. “I thought I was all grown up.”

I felt her tears wet the fabric of my shirt. “Honey.”

“But, I’m not. And I don’t care if I ever am.” She looked up at me, her eyes rimmed red. “Every little girl needs her father to rescue her.”

I squeezed her tight, hugging her to my chest. “You’ll never have to worry. Whatever the future brings, and however much of it we have, from now on, I’m right here.”

END