“My grandmother always made it this way. We loved it as kids. I haven’t had it in a long time,” she says, watching the meat brown. “Actually, my dad used to make it for breakfast sometimes when we went camping. I had forgotten about that.”
She’s wearing a housekeeper’s uniform we found in one of the storage closets. It’s a simple gray dress that hits just below her knees. Her waist is accentuated by a belt made from the same fabric as the dress. It has buttons going all the way down the front. It should not look sexy, but it does. She looks fucking amazing.
“What?” she asks, catching me looking at her.
“I was thinking you should have worn that apron.” There was a white apron that came as part of the uniform.
She laughs. “Yeah, right.”
“To keep the fat from ruining your dress.”
She shakes her head.
I force my eyes back to the pot.
We both showered and changed after we broke into the Academy. The hot water felt like heaven. There were toiletries available, too. All of the basics.
I’m wearing a leather uniform. It feels strange to be in this thing again after leaving flight school six and a half months ago. I thought I would be flooded with bad memories, but I’m not.
“Here,” Wren says, transferring the crispy Spam slices to a plate. “These are done.”
I grab a can of corn from the counter and dump it into the pot, giving everything another stir. The beans are starting to break down, thickening the sauce. Between the rice and beansand the fried Spam, it actually smells pretty good, considering what we had to work with.
“So,” I say, keeping my voice casual, “tell me more about what you want to do when you return to the Mainland.”
Wren’s hand stills on the counter. Her face falls.
“I don’t know if there will be a return to the Mainland,” she whispers. “Everything is so messed up now. What if—?”
“Hey.” I set down the wooden spoon and turn to face her. “Let’s pretend, just for a little while, that life is normal. I want to know about your life back there. About your plans. Your dreams.”
She looks up at me, her eyes uncertain. But then she takes a breath and nods. “Okay. I…I already told you that I want to buy a house. A real house with a yard.”
“For Ball and Breaker,” I say, and despite everything, I find myself smiling.
She laughs, the sound startled out of her. “Yes! For Ball and Breaker. Exactly right.”
I smile, and it feels really good.
Wren’s smile fades a bit as she looks down at her hands.
“What?” I ask. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
She shrugs. “It’s silly.”
“Tell me anyway.”
She bites her lip, then meets my eyes. “I want to open a retirement home. I want to give the elderly the care they deserve. So aside from the usual care, I’d organize fun activities for them. Bring in animals like dogs, maybe even a miniature horse or two. Create a place where they feel valued and loved.”
Something warm spreads through my chest.
“That’s amazing, Wren. Really. It’s not silly at all. I think you would be very good at something like that.” I think about all the care she shows the patients, especially the elderly. How she sets them at ease and gets them smiling.
She looks surprised. “You think so?”
“I know so.” I turn back to the pot, stirring to give myself something to do with my hands. “I must say that working with the elderly is the thing I enjoy most about working at the Vaccination Center. They have so much knowledge to share, so many stories. It would be incredibly rewarding to do what you’re describing.”
“You really mean that?” she says softly.
