The following morning, Vayla awoke to the sensation of Daryl kissing her neck, prompting her to run her fingers through his hair. Daryl remarked, "I truly enjoyed last night." Vayla replied, "I did as well," and they began to kiss until they were interrupted by her father, Victor, calling from the kitchen, "Vayla, Daryl, breakfast is ready." They quickly dressed and made their way to the kitchen, accompanied by Rumbo and Tetch. Upon entering, Vayla took a moment to feed Rumbo and Tetch. As they settled at the table, Victor commented, "You know, we heard you two last night; Vayla, your moaning was quite audible." Vayla shot her father a disapproving look and retorted, "How do you know? Jackson heard us?" Victor responded, "Well, Jackson and I were also intimate last night." He continued, "I understand there is an age difference, but remember, Vayla, you were born when I was 16, so there is nothing inappropriate about me being 34 and Jackson being in his 20s." Vayla replied, "As long as you are happy, I am happy too. You deserve someone better than my absent mother, and Jackson is a good match for you." She reflected on the day her mother left when she was eight, after her father discovered her infidelity and gave her an ultimatum: "It's either me and Vayla or that other man you've been seeing." Although her mother sent her letters, Vayla always discarded them. She returned to the present when Daryl inquired of Victor, "So, Victor, you don't mind if Vayla and I become a couple?" Victor answered, "Of course not, just make sure to treat my daughter well." Daryl assured him, "Don't worry, I will."
As Vayla, Victor, Daryl, and Jackson were seated in the living area engaged in a board game, Rumbo and Tetch suddenly dashed to the door. Abruptly, Vayla inquired, "Is that a motor?" Upon cautiously opening the door and stepping onto the porch, they observed military vehicles traversing the street. The vehicles came to a halt, and two soldiers approached the gate, gesturing for it to be opened. Vayla pressed the button adjacent to the doorbell, and the gate gradually swung open. The soldiers advanced to the porch, and the older one remarked, "It is a relief to see you have made it. We are relocating survivors to the southern states, as the South is free of the zombie virus." Vayla queried, "Is it?" to which the younger soldier responded, "Yes, ma'am. The disease responsible for the zombie outbreak has been entirely eradicated and it never reached the South. The president has directed us to traverse every northern state and locate survivors. Once we have safely transported all survivors to the South, a comprehensive eradication of the northern states and all zombies will commence." Turning to her father, Vayla exclaimed, "Dad, your side of the family resides in Alabama." Her father replied, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's gather our belongings and head to the South." Subsequently, Vayla, Victor, Daryl, Jackson collected their bags and weapons and along with Rumbo and Tetch boarded the back of one of the military vehicles. The younger soldier requested their surnames to document them on the survivors' list. Upon hearing Vayla state, "Mine and my father's last name is Sailor," the older soldier extracted two urns from a bag and remarked, "Then these must be yours." Overwhelmed with joy, Vayla wept as she received the urns containing the ashes of her two childhood pets, Rover, an Australian Cattle Dog, and Diesel, a Siamese cat. "I thought I would never see them again," Vayla expressed. The older soldier explained, "While inspecting abandoned houses, we discovered these and believed someone might miss them, so we took them with us in hopes of finding the owner. We also located all your stuffed animals and some photo albums." Vayla beamed as she recognized her childhood stuffed animals and perused one photo album depicting her father's side of the family, spanning back to his great-great-grandparents. Another album showcased pictures of her father as a young boy and teenager, and yet another captured images of Vayla with Rover, Diesel, Rumbo, and Tetch. Gratitude filled Vayla as she thanked the soldiers and embraced her father, Daryl, Jackson, Rumbo, and Tetch. Reflecting on their journey, she prepared for the new chapter of their lives in the South.