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Authors: Carla Buckley
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airport, waiting to have their temperature taken. Ann lifted the remote and turned off the television.
“Mom,” Maddie said.
“Just while I’m gone, honey.” Who knew what they’d see in her absence? “Kate, lock the door behind me.”
Kate moved her thumb across the mouse pad. “Okay.”
Ann checked her purse for her wallet and her cell phone. Here was Maddie’s medicine. That shouldn’t come with her. “If anyone rings the doorbell, don’t answer.”
“Not even for Libby?” Maddie said.
“Libby will be with me. Mr. Finn might come by for me to sign another of his petitions. You can call through the door, but don’t open it.”
Maddie shook her head. “He’ll be mad.”
“That’s all right. Kate?”
Her daughter was focused on the laptop screen, her hands typing busily. “Kate!”
She glanced up. “What?”
“What did I just tell you?”
“Something about the door and Mr. Finn.”
Ann looked at her with exasperation. “You need to stop fooling around with your laptop and watch your sister.”
Kate pushed herself away from the table and stood. “Why don’t you just take Maddie with you if you don’t think she’ll be safe with me?”
“That’s not—”
But Kate was stomping up the stairs.
Libby’s SUV waited in the driveway. “Thanks for coming,” she said as Ann opened the car door.
“No problem. It makes sense to go together.” Ann climbed in and glanced back. Jacob sat nestled in his car seat behind her, bundled in navy corduroy and wearing a scarlet cap. He saw her and pumped his legs, his cheeks bunching around his pacifier. He was grinning.
“You little sweetie,” she said, smiling back at him before turning around to pull the seatbelt across her lap.
“I hope you don’t mind me bringing him. Smith’s not home yet.”
“Of course not. He can help us choose cereal.”
Libby swung the steering wheel and they bumped onto the street. “I don’t get it. Why are they closing school for three whole months? The flu’s not even here.”
“It’s in the state preparedness plans. A lot of things are going to start happening because we’re in Phase Five.” The announcement had been so sudden. Ann still couldn’t believe it. She’d thought there would be some indication, but maybe she’d been so preoccupied that she’d missed the warning signs. The Health Department would start closing everything, including Peter’s university. She wondered how he was doing. She wondered if he’d seen this coming. No. He’d have said something. Despite everything, he’d have wanted her and the girls to be prepared.
Libby honked at the car waiting to make a turn in front of her. “How am I going to get any work done? I have a major deadline coming up.”
“Maybe your boss will let you work from home.” All the lights were on at the bank and the lot was filled. Cars stood in line for the ATM. How much cash did she have? As a rule, she didn’t keep much on hand. So, maybe twenty bucks.
“Yeah, sure. That’ll happen. He about had a heart attack when I took maternity leave. He must’ve called ten times, asking when I was coming back.” Libby gripped the steering wheel. “Maybe my mom can come and stay with us for a while.”
“There you go.” Ann’s parents hadn’t answered the phone. Of course, they didn’t have a cell. They had to be out, doing just what Ann was doing. Getting groceries, stocking up on cash. She’d try them again as soon as she got home.
Libby glanced over. “What about you? Do you even have a job anymore?”
“I don’t know.” Another worry. “We’d better stop at an ATM on the way home.”
“Good idea.” Libby turned into the shopping center and braked hard at the sight of cars packed into the sprawling space, lined up against the curbs and across the grassy median. Still more cars prowled around, headlights shining, exhaust puffing behind them in weary streams. “Jesus.”
Ann pointed. “There’s a car pulling out over
“Mom,” Maddie said.
“Just while I’m gone, honey.” Who knew what they’d see in her absence? “Kate, lock the door behind me.”
Kate moved her thumb across the mouse pad. “Okay.”
Ann checked her purse for her wallet and her cell phone. Here was Maddie’s medicine. That shouldn’t come with her. “If anyone rings the doorbell, don’t answer.”
“Not even for Libby?” Maddie said.
“Libby will be with me. Mr. Finn might come by for me to sign another of his petitions. You can call through the door, but don’t open it.”
Maddie shook her head. “He’ll be mad.”
“That’s all right. Kate?”
Her daughter was focused on the laptop screen, her hands typing busily. “Kate!”
She glanced up. “What?”
“What did I just tell you?”
“Something about the door and Mr. Finn.”
Ann looked at her with exasperation. “You need to stop fooling around with your laptop and watch your sister.”
Kate pushed herself away from the table and stood. “Why don’t you just take Maddie with you if you don’t think she’ll be safe with me?”
“That’s not—”
But Kate was stomping up the stairs.
Libby’s SUV waited in the driveway. “Thanks for coming,” she said as Ann opened the car door.
“No problem. It makes sense to go together.” Ann climbed in and glanced back. Jacob sat nestled in his car seat behind her, bundled in navy corduroy and wearing a scarlet cap. He saw her and pumped his legs, his cheeks bunching around his pacifier. He was grinning.
“You little sweetie,” she said, smiling back at him before turning around to pull the seatbelt across her lap.
“I hope you don’t mind me bringing him. Smith’s not home yet.”
“Of course not. He can help us choose cereal.”
Libby swung the steering wheel and they bumped onto the street. “I don’t get it. Why are they closing school for three whole months? The flu’s not even here.”
“It’s in the state preparedness plans. A lot of things are going to start happening because we’re in Phase Five.” The announcement had been so sudden. Ann still couldn’t believe it. She’d thought there would be some indication, but maybe she’d been so preoccupied that she’d missed the warning signs. The Health Department would start closing everything, including Peter’s university. She wondered how he was doing. She wondered if he’d seen this coming. No. He’d have said something. Despite everything, he’d have wanted her and the girls to be prepared.
Libby honked at the car waiting to make a turn in front of her. “How am I going to get any work done? I have a major deadline coming up.”
“Maybe your boss will let you work from home.” All the lights were on at the bank and the lot was filled. Cars stood in line for the ATM. How much cash did she have? As a rule, she didn’t keep much on hand. So, maybe twenty bucks.
“Yeah, sure. That’ll happen. He about had a heart attack when I took maternity leave. He must’ve called ten times, asking when I was coming back.” Libby gripped the steering wheel. “Maybe my mom can come and stay with us for a while.”
“There you go.” Ann’s parents hadn’t answered the phone. Of course, they didn’t have a cell. They had to be out, doing just what Ann was doing. Getting groceries, stocking up on cash. She’d try them again as soon as she got home.
Libby glanced over. “What about you? Do you even have a job anymore?”
“I don’t know.” Another worry. “We’d better stop at an ATM on the way home.”
“Good idea.” Libby turned into the shopping center and braked hard at the sight of cars packed into the sprawling space, lined up against the curbs and across the grassy median. Still more cars prowled around, headlights shining, exhaust puffing behind them in weary streams. “Jesus.”
Ann pointed. “There’s a car pulling out over
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