uncomfortably into the bottom of his spine, but he didn’t shift it.
The man half stood, Lilly clinging to his side as if he’d disappear. He extended his hand. “I’m Craig Washington. This is my daughter, Lilly, and Abigail Lowenstein and her son, Jacob.”
Adam extended his hand and introduced himself, and Parker reluctantly did the same.
The woman stood and leaned across to offer her hand. “Call me Abby. We can’t thank you enough.” Her blond hair was plastered to her head, escaping a ponytail, a couple inches of darker roots by her scalp. She and Craig both looked to be in their late thirties, and when she smiled, her round face exuded warmth in a way that made Parker think of his mother in certain moments, like early Sundays when she didn’t blow out her hair and strap on her pearls. Abby’s pale cheeks were wind-burned red. She nudged Jacob with her elbow.
Jacob stood and solemnly shook their hands, his hand thin and grip tentative. Knobby knees stuck out of his shorts, and his skin had gone red too. Lilly curled into her father’s side, her face tucked into her too-big life jacket, her curly hair pulled into a tight bun and socked feet tucked up under her on the bench. She shivered, her father rubbing her bare arm steadily.
After they all stared at each other for a few moments, Adam cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about what happened on deck. I got carried away. All that adrenaline. It won’t happen again.”
“He’s overprotective,” Parker added with an attempted smile. Oh God, please let this storm end. The agony of small talk combined with suspicion and fear. It was the actual worst.
Craig held up his hands. “No need to apologize. I shouldn’t have startled Parker. Don’t distract the driver, right? That’s what my dad always said.”
Silence descended again, aside from the sweeping rain on the skylights and Jacob tapping a staccato rhythm on the floor with his foot. Abby stilled his leg with a hand on his knee.
“Um, do you want something hot?” Parker asked. “There’s a machine. We have hot choc—” Remembering the bared cupboards after the pirates’ visit, he flushed. “Sorry, we ran out, actually.”
“There’s coffee,” Adam said quietly. “I picked some up.”
“That would be wonderful,” Abby said, and Craig nodded.
While the fancy coffee machine built into the counter brewed, Parker settled back down on the bench. “So, um, how did you end up on a boat?” As much as he loathed small talk, the silence was worse.
Craig answered, “We came east from Winston-Salem. First we thought we’d try for DC. Figured things might be better there.” He grimaced. “Turned out it was the worst hit, so we went for the coast. Don’t know much about boats, as I guess you’re well aware. But we thought maybe… Thought maybe it would be better since the infected can’t seem to swim.” He sighed. “Thank you again. I really didn’t think anyone would answer the radio. At least not anybody who actually wanted to help.”
That he’d considered ignoring their distress call made Parker shift uneasily, guilt and shame battling for supremacy, his face going hot. Thank God he hadn’t let fear overwhelm him.
He shrugged, going for casual and probably hitting on spastic. “We weren’t too far away, so. It’s no problem.” Of course it was a massive problem for various reasons, but they were stuck together for the time being.
It was too quiet while the coffee dripped. Parker tried to relax, but there were strangers on his boat, and no matter how harmless they seemed… Nope. No relaxing. He cast about for another question, since he’d never been able to handle silence. “Did you guys meet on the road, or did you know each other before?”
Craig and Abby shared a tired smile, and she replied, “Well, we were just finishing up our third date when the world went to hell in a handbasket. And I guess the rest is history. How about you two? Did you know each other
The man half stood, Lilly clinging to his side as if he’d disappear. He extended his hand. “I’m Craig Washington. This is my daughter, Lilly, and Abigail Lowenstein and her son, Jacob.”
Adam extended his hand and introduced himself, and Parker reluctantly did the same.
The woman stood and leaned across to offer her hand. “Call me Abby. We can’t thank you enough.” Her blond hair was plastered to her head, escaping a ponytail, a couple inches of darker roots by her scalp. She and Craig both looked to be in their late thirties, and when she smiled, her round face exuded warmth in a way that made Parker think of his mother in certain moments, like early Sundays when she didn’t blow out her hair and strap on her pearls. Abby’s pale cheeks were wind-burned red. She nudged Jacob with her elbow.
Jacob stood and solemnly shook their hands, his hand thin and grip tentative. Knobby knees stuck out of his shorts, and his skin had gone red too. Lilly curled into her father’s side, her face tucked into her too-big life jacket, her curly hair pulled into a tight bun and socked feet tucked up under her on the bench. She shivered, her father rubbing her bare arm steadily.
After they all stared at each other for a few moments, Adam cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about what happened on deck. I got carried away. All that adrenaline. It won’t happen again.”
“He’s overprotective,” Parker added with an attempted smile. Oh God, please let this storm end. The agony of small talk combined with suspicion and fear. It was the actual worst.
Craig held up his hands. “No need to apologize. I shouldn’t have startled Parker. Don’t distract the driver, right? That’s what my dad always said.”
Silence descended again, aside from the sweeping rain on the skylights and Jacob tapping a staccato rhythm on the floor with his foot. Abby stilled his leg with a hand on his knee.
“Um, do you want something hot?” Parker asked. “There’s a machine. We have hot choc—” Remembering the bared cupboards after the pirates’ visit, he flushed. “Sorry, we ran out, actually.”
“There’s coffee,” Adam said quietly. “I picked some up.”
“That would be wonderful,” Abby said, and Craig nodded.
While the fancy coffee machine built into the counter brewed, Parker settled back down on the bench. “So, um, how did you end up on a boat?” As much as he loathed small talk, the silence was worse.
Craig answered, “We came east from Winston-Salem. First we thought we’d try for DC. Figured things might be better there.” He grimaced. “Turned out it was the worst hit, so we went for the coast. Don’t know much about boats, as I guess you’re well aware. But we thought maybe… Thought maybe it would be better since the infected can’t seem to swim.” He sighed. “Thank you again. I really didn’t think anyone would answer the radio. At least not anybody who actually wanted to help.”
That he’d considered ignoring their distress call made Parker shift uneasily, guilt and shame battling for supremacy, his face going hot. Thank God he hadn’t let fear overwhelm him.
He shrugged, going for casual and probably hitting on spastic. “We weren’t too far away, so. It’s no problem.” Of course it was a massive problem for various reasons, but they were stuck together for the time being.
It was too quiet while the coffee dripped. Parker tried to relax, but there were strangers on his boat, and no matter how harmless they seemed… Nope. No relaxing. He cast about for another question, since he’d never been able to handle silence. “Did you guys meet on the road, or did you know each other before?”
Craig and Abby shared a tired smile, and she replied, “Well, we were just finishing up our third date when the world went to hell in a handbasket. And I guess the rest is history. How about you two? Did you know each other
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