Revolution (Collide, #4)(82)

We stopped. She'd been so good about sharing us with the baby and all the stuff that needed to be done to get things right in the town again. We both looked at each other at the same time. Even without his Keeper talk, I could practically hear his thoughts.

We both sat down across from her. I picked up one doll and Merrick picked up the other. I laughed at him, because I knew what was coming. He held the Barbie in one hand and the other held out like a diva and said in a high voice, "So girls, what's been going on?"

Lily squealed and moved her Barbie closer. "Nothing, just buying a new fur coat. Wanna see?"

"Do I ever!"

We laughed and played with our little girl until it was time to go meet up with everyone at the opening of the produce store.

The men in our group had gotten together with a few others and started a garden. Pap and Margaret had gone back to their cabin on the hill to live instead of staying with us. But not before he told us about his farm supplies, seeds and tractor included. As far as we knew, we were the only farm\garden in the state. No one else had seeds and we planned to start spreading them around when our first big crop came in. And it was in. Today we were open for business, but not for money. We traded things or services with everyone and it worked out perfectly.

And let me tell you, Merrick, shirtless in the blazing sun as he worked in the garden was a sight to see. You thought chocolate made your toes curl…

They were getting a school ready, too. Marissa was going to teach along with a couple of others. It was going to be laid back. Marissa was taking the baby with her and we were starting off with half days. I had agreed to start teaching piano and music once the baby was a little older.

The town wasn't perfect by any means. We'd had a few run-ins with trouble, someone who wasn't too keen on having to go back to the following the common laws of a society, like no stealing. The Enforcers, who were mostly a bunch of cops anyway, had kind of started to keep the peace again. The town clean-up had been massive, but we'd gotten so much done in the last ten months.

Marissa and I had our babies within three days of each other. That had been eventful, but so worth it. Merrick was the best coach ever. We thought Jeff was bad. Merrick turned worrying into a sport for those months, but I loved every minute of it.

Ryan and Ellie were stuck in the lovey stage. The sweet one where all you wanna do is touch and be touched. Miguel and Rylee were still love-hating on each other. Miguel never walked around with anything but a smile though, so I assumed it was working for him. Celeste and Danny lived across the hall from us and were still the same old, same old. He was a great uncle and husband. When kids of his own were brought up, he and Celeste both wrinkled their noses.

Cain and Lillian were as happy as ever and lived down the hall from us. They were the biggest baby hogs of the bunch.

Calvin had grown two more inches. Franklin hadn't and was brooding and irritated. Two teenage boys running around… But Calvin had become extremely protective of Lily lately.

The radio transmissions had been turned back on, but we only had one station. Some older man who used to run one decided he was taking it over. He only played songs from the forties, but it was better than nothing. The news continued to play daily because there wasn't much else, but they talked about actual news and not just Lighters anymore. They did start to play some old movies and re-runs, but again, we only had one channel, so it was that or nothing.

This was our life now. We lived our separate lives in our apartments and then lived together, one big family and community.

Later that night the whole town gathered for the grand opening and listened to Chesser give his speech on the importance of equal giving and taking. We all needed to work together to make this new world work.

They cut the ribbon and everyone went inside the big field for our first time with fresh produce in more than a year. Lily went right to the watermelons.

Afterwards, they held a get together and had live music and dancing in the street. I rocked my hips side to side to keep my Hope asleep and felt Merrick's arms go around me from behind. "Still sleeping?"

"I'm surprised with the loud music that she is, but yeah."

He kissed the side of my neck. "Wanna dance with me?"

I looked out at our family who was already dancing. The band was playing a wonderful acoustic version of Howie Day's Collide. It was a perfect song, to a perfect day, to a perfect new life.

The dawn is breaking,

a light shining through.

You're barely waking,

and I'm tangled up in you.

Yeah.

I'm open, you're closed.

Where I follow, you'll go.

I worry I won't see your face light up again.

Even the best fall down sometime,

Even the wrong words seem to rhyme,

Out of the doubt that fills my mind.

We'll somehow find, you and I collide.

I held Hope between us as Merrick took us in his arms and swayed us. He kissed my forehead, his lips warm. Human warm. I let him guide me with his hands on my hips.

"I love you, baby," he said to me and closed his eyes. "I could stay right here all night."

So we pretty much did.

Life wasn't perfect, but we found our perfection in it. Our new life in this new world was going to be hard and rough and beautiful. I couldn't wait for my kids to grow up and see what they helped to literally build back up from nothing. This was worth fighting for.