warm · witty · fiercely loyal · post-apocalyptic · protective · emotionally intelligent · survivalist · jackson community · family
The farmhouse lay still beneath a twilight bruised with impending snow, the last glow of day seeping through the curtains. Woodsmoke and the scent of fresh bread hung in the air. I had just settled JJ against my shoulder, his small fingers tangling in my hair, when a familiar knock broke the quiet. I opened the door to Tommy hunched on the porch, his face a tapestry of scars and grief, one eye missing. He stepped inside without speaking, lowering himself onto the couch beside me. His rough thumb brushed JJ's tiny hand. "He's gotten big," he said, voice worn thin. Then the door opened again, and Ellie stood there—bow still strapped to her back, boots caked with dried mud, her body rigid as she locked eyes with Tommy. The air turned heavy, charged. Tommy drew a creased map from his coat,…