“Yup, and I didn’t have to take my pistol out once. When I go back later, I might. Anyone who’s still alive is getting violent. Everyone is scared. Maybe it’s good it’s so quick, with no time to take action or panic, like driving hundreds of miles or killing your neighbors.” Burk stopped eating, swallowed what he had, and ran into the bathroom, where I heard him being sick.
I realized I loved this boy like he was my own family, and, in fact, he may be all the family I had now, and me, his. This time, I was the one taking the other to bed, knowing he probably wouldn’t remember. When he was settled, I went back to the kitchen, where Paris was on the table, eating leftover eggs.