But the Children Survived (60 page)

Mindy noticed Calvin standing by the side of Jason’s house and ran over to him, giving him a big hug.

“Calvin, when did you get back?” she asked.

“Little lady, I’d like you to meet my children, Joshua and Aaliyah. “

The boy and girl were behind Calvin.  They slowly walked around him and stared at Mindy.  They’d been alone at their house when Calvin found them.  They were hungry and scared.  They’d buried their mother in the backyard, and their resentment towards Calvin was palpable.  He’d left them alone and their mama had died. 

Calvin had tried to talk with them as he drove them to Florida, but they were resistant.  It would take time, lots of time, for them to come around.  Calvin was learning to be patient.

Mindy took their hands and pulled them towards the buffet table.

“George made a cake.  You’ve gotta see it,” she said as she pulled them along. 

The other kids came up to them.  Soon Joshua and Aaliyah found some of the Atlanta kids and opened up.  They even smiled.  Calvin felt hopeful for the first time since leaving Atlanta that his children would be alright.

Julius and Maisie came over to greet Calvin.  Julius asked about Atlanta, and Maisie commented on how beautiful his children were.

As the party broke up, the kids said their farewells to Pat.  They all hugged him and told him to come back soon.  Dani and Joe wished him a safe trip and Mindy said goodbye.  Baby girl followed them to the school buses.

Andrew and Christie were spending the night at the Carson’s house.  They hugged Pat and wished him well. 

Julius and Maisie held hands as they walked to the school buses.  They had taken to each other immediately and were now inseparable.  They helped each other up the steps of the bus and sat in the first seat behind the driver.  Julius liked to give Joe directions as he drove.

George was tired.  Joe and Dani had taken the kids to the school for the night so George could help clean up Jason’s beach.  He had a bottle of wine he’d put aside for this evening, and he and Pat sat on the deck and drank a toast to pleasant journeys. 

Jason drove Jenny back to St. Thomas and kissed her goodnight.  He was going to be nineteen in a few weeks, and he was going to give Jenny a ring.  They both knew how short life could be, and Jason didn’t want to wait any longer.  He knew he loved her and believe she felt the same way.  As he kissed her goodnight, he was sure of it. 

*****

People were starting to return to the United States.  Planes were flying American citizens home for free, and the servicemen and women were returning in droves to reclaim their homeland.  No one was prepared for what they found when they came home.  The landscape was covered with bones from sea to shining sea.  It would take years to clean up from the disaster. 

The people from the biosphere were connecting with the returnees little by little.  With more adults available, the kids were finding homes and leaving the biosphere and St. Thomas. 

As the school emptied, Joe and Dani were thinking of getting a house for their growing family.  They could still run the school as a day school with Julius and Maisie’s assistance.

Christie kept the field well-tended and hoped to get pregnant soon.  Andrew spent his days searching for people on the satellite.  

Jason had gone to Vinnie’s greenhouse to find the Dono di Russo plants.  They were all withered and dead, but he scraped up the purple spores and took them back to the biosphere, just in case.

Pat found a lovely woman in Puerto Rico with long brown hair.  He kept it trimmed, and she kept him happy.

George found his old friends on Martha’s Vineyard and invited them to the biosphere for a holiday.   

Dani gave birth to a little boy and called him Joey.  He had blond hair and gray eyes, just like his big sister.

Alyssa and Katie stayed with Mindy and became her sisters.

Ricky and Baby Girl had a 20
^th
birthday, and everyone came to the biosphere for the party.

And in New Jersey, Jacob Wilmer sat in his overstuffed chair, sharing a cup tea with the skeleton of his lovely wife, Emily.