Severina stood awkwardly by the cars, unsure of which vehicle she was meant for her. Since the war, vehicles were used sparingly unless they were fully electric. She watched her father-in-law said something to Sam, who quickly walked over to her. He ran his hand through his short dark hair nervously.
"Sorry, I uh, you can come with me. I'm in the Jeep." He half frowned half smiled at her. She nodded and walked over to the white Jeep that was parked behind a large truck she assumed was his father's. She got inside the passenger side and shut the door. Her bags were already in the back seat. She watched her husband and father-in-law talking for several minutes before Sam walked back to the Jeep and climbed into the driver's seat. He started the SUV and let the engine rumble. She watched his father get inside his truck and begin driving down what was now not her driveway.
"So. I'm Sam. Nice to meet you." He turned to her as he said this.
"I'm Severina. Nice to meet you." She felt robotic. She was twisting her long red hair around her fingers absently.
"My father's name is Daniel. You'll meet my mother and sister once we get home." Sam put his seatbelt on and then put the Jeep into drive.
"I um. I know this is weird." He said and laughed uncomfortably.
"It is weird." She said and watched her home as it began to recede from her view.
"Things will be ok." He reassured her. After she saw the last of her home disappear she faced forward. Now they were passing by her father's crops, which were being tended by those that were offered food and board for themselves and their families in exchange for their labor. She sighed. Now their families will be safer. She thought and felt sting of tears in her eyes again. Not another breakdown. She scolded herself. They drove in silence until he turned onto the main highway. Most of the abandoned cars had been moved to the side of the road to allow for those that remained to travel more easily.
She leaned her head against the passenger side window and wondered what things would have been like if there had been no World War III. They drove for half an hour before turning left off of the main highway. They came to a large gate with the words CAMP STACKHOUSE in iron. Two men opened the gate so both vehicles could pass through. Severina watched them secure the gate shut behind them. They parked under a large carport to the side of what looked like a castle.
"My father wanted it to look fit for a king." Sam said with an amused tone.
"I guess it does." Severina said and opened the car door. She went to the rear door to grab her bags and saw that Sam had beat her to it.
"Thanks." Severina said quickly and shut the door. She followed him to the large double doors that formed the entry way into what really did look like a castle. Daniel was greeting a beautiful blond woman who Severina assumed was her new mother-in-law.
"Hello!" She exclaimed when she saw Severina. "It's so nice to meet you, I'm Jacqueline, but you can call me Jackie." She had the same deep blue eyes as Sam. Severina smiled and extended her hand in greeting.
"I'm a hugger." Jackie said and pulled Severina into an embrace. It was stiff at first, but then Severina let herself be hugged. As they broke their embrace, a younger blond that was almost a carbon copy of her mother appeared.
"This is Molly, Molly this is Sam's wife, Severina." Jackie introduced them. Wife. The word echoed inside Severina's mind. She forced a smile.
"Hi." Molly said and smiled brightly. Daniel shut the double doors behind them and secured them with a large bar.
"I think snacks and something harder than that shit I've been trying to brew for the last six months are in order." Daniel said as he took off his shoes. Taking a cue from him, Severina took her own shoes off.
"I'm going to take these upstairs to your room." Sam said and gave her the same half smile half frown he had before. He left his shoes next to hers and his father's. He was slightly endearing. Your room. She thought and felt relieved. He hadn't said our room. She followed his family to the kitchen area where Daniel produced a decanter of amber fluid. Jackie started cutting cheese and laying out crackers. That cheese is from our farm. She thought recognizing it immediately. Daniel poured two fingers worth of the amber liquid in five glasses. He quickly downed his own and then poured another. Severina caught his wife eyeing him.
"Well let's get this out of the way. It's a shit situation." Daniel said and downed his second shot. He took a cracked and cheese and began eating it. Molly sipped at her alcohol, and Severina followed Daniel's lead and took the shot as he did. She set her glass down and felt the liquid burning its way down into her stomach. She knew it was whiskey by the taste. Daniel poured her another shot.
"We know you're old enough that you've heard about the time before. You know how your parents met, and you might have read some books. This is how things were hundreds of years ago, and unfortunately it's how things have become again." Daniel finished his cheese and cracker, and took another. She heard Sam enter the kitchen behind her. He took his shot and downed it in one gulp. Jackie eyed the three of them with motherly distaste. Severina decided to sip this glass, but when the whiskey touched her tongue she couldn't help but shoot it back like Daniel had. She took a cracker and some of the cheese. It was nostalgic and reminded her of home.
"Sammy will be good to you. We have good kids. We'll be good to you too." Daniel ran his hand through his hair much like his son had earlier. Severina glanced at her husband and saw that he was looking at her. She looked down quickly.
"Thank you." She managed to get out.
"Thank you, now we'll have more stores of food." Jackie smiled and nodded to the cheese. "We've had some lean years."
Severina wasn't sure what to say. She knew that she was worth a handful of soldiers to her father, and now some extra food to them. It was difficult to digest. She saw the half smile half frown on Sam's face again as he poured himself another shot of whiskey and knew it was going to be a long night.