~
They ate sitting on the floor of the kitchen, Ty at Alice’s side and Quinn across from them. Quinn’s meal was a type of Mediterranean chicken, spicy and not at all dry like he’d thought it would be. Although they weren’t able to warm the food in anything since there were no appliances in the house, everyone’s food disappeared quickly, and there was little talk between bites. When they finished, Alice wrapped the disposable containers in a garbage bag she found beneath the kitchen sink and set it in a corner.
“To keep the smell down,” she said when he looked at the bag.
They moved into the living room, and Quinn opened one of the windows looking out into the front yard, leaning his rifle against the wall beside it. Alice brought a blanket from the small pile of supplies in the kitchen and draped it over Ty, who smiled as she sat down beside him on the living room floor.
“It’s going to get cold tonight,” Alice said, hugging Ty close to her side. Quinn glanced at her and then at the gas fireplace mounted in the living room wall.
“I’ll get this started,” he said, moving to kneel before the glass front. “If the power’s on, I’m guessing the gas will be too.”
“What about the flames? You’d be able to see them from the street,” Alice said.
“Not until it gets darker. Then we can pull the shades and throw blankets over the windows facing the neighborhood.”
Quinn fiddled with the gas valve beneath the decorative, ceramic logs until he heard a small whoosh. He pushed the red button and listened to the distinctive click of an electric starter. Flames erupted out of the fireplace and he felt the hair on his arms shrivel beneath its touch.
“Damn,” he said, sitting back. Alice made a surprised grunt and then snorted once. When he looked at her, her face was lit with the same smile he’d seen in Thor’s armory. “Are my eyebrows still there?” he asked. This made Alice laugh harder, and Ty giggled. “Glad I can be of amusement,” he said, moving back to his post beside the window. After a time, Alice and Ty grew quiet and only the calls of chickadees and the occasional Blue Jay filtered in from outside.
“Can we play a game?” Ty asked just when Quinn thought the boy had fallen asleep.
“What kind of game?” Alice said.
“I don’t know, something fun.”
“Sorry, champ. I’m fresh out of board games.”
“We could play reflex,” Quinn said.
“What’s that?” Ty asked.
“It’s word association. My dad called it reflex when I was little. Like if I say, blue, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?”
“Mom says the sky’s blue, and so’s the ocean sometimes.”
Quinn felt his face grow hot as Alice narrowed her eyes at him. Had he just asked a blind boy what he associated with a color?
“Yeah, like that. Here, how about dog?” Quinn said, barreling on as embarrassment tried to constrict his throat.
“Friend,” Ty answered almost immediately.
“There you go. Okay Alice, your turn.”
“I don’t want to play.”
“Come on, mom!” Ty protested. Alice gave Quinn a withering look and sighed.
“Okay, hit me, Quinn.”
“Blue Jay,” he said, hearing the bird’s shrill call again in the distance.
“Annoying,” Alice said. Quinn laughed.
“Yeah, they can be that.”
“Car,” Ty said, sitting forward.
“Tahoe,” Quinn said, glancing out of the window.
“Mom, you go. Tree.”
“Grow.”
“Elephant,” Quinn said.
“Big!” Ty exclaimed.
“Shhh, Ty. We have to keep our voices down,” Alice said.
“No fun,” Ty said, half smiling.
“What? Keeping our voices down?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he replied, grinning as his sightless eyes stared at the floor.
“Maine,” Quinn said.
“Home,” Ty answered.
“Ocean,” Alice asked, looking directly at Quinn.
“Freedom,” he said. “Beer.”
“Good,” Alice said, and Ty laughed, his head following their voices. “Steak.”