EMP Catastrophe - Hamilton, Grace (best books to read for beginners txt) 📗

blonde hairs off her forehead. Ruth appeared at his side with a clean, damp rag and a bottle of water. Placing the rag over Allison’s forehead, she tutted in worry. Matthew remembered that sound from his childhood—usually after he’d done something foolish that had ended up with him needing to go to the doctor.

“You should know better, Matthew,” Ruth said to him as she unscrewed the water bottle and tried to coax some down Allison’s throat.

“How is this my fault?” Matthew demanded and took the bottle from his mother.

“You’ve been working all of us to death. I don’t even understand how she’s been able to go on as long as she has when all she’s been eating is Lucky Charms. That girl is running on nothing but sugar.”

“What are you talking about?” Matthew asked, but the question went unanswered when Allison began to moan and toss her head back and forth. Her eyes opened a sliver. Matthew nearly jumped for joy when he saw those blue orbs sharpen with recognition. She smiled sheepishly at him. “Hi Dad,” she said, “what happened?”

“You passed out,” Matthew said and then paused, feeling his throat tighten with guilt he didn’t want to admit to. “Grandma tells me you’ve haven’t been eating. Honey, tell me the truth. Have you really just been eating cereal?”

Allison shrugged and tried to prop herself up. Her arms trembled. She didn’t respond.

“Answer the question,” Matthew urged her. “You’re not in trouble, but I need to know if you’ve been keeping yourself healthy by eating any of Grandma’s canned veggies or the dehydrated meat.”

Allison touched the damp rag on her forehead and looked guilty herself. “Lucky Charms is comfort food,” she admitted. “It feels like the world has ended and they’re the last things existing of what life was like before everything fell apart.”

“You’ve been stress eating,” Ruth said softly.

Allison clasped her hands and studied them as if they were the most interesting thing in the room. “I guess.”

“The world hasn’t ended,” Matthew said and put his hand over hers. He cursed his own negativity. He’d been treating the world as though it had ended, and that mindset had obviously infected his children. He didn’t want them to feel terrified and suspicious of their world and regret not having the old one. He wanted them to still find some kind of wonder in it. “It’s simply a changing world,” he continued. “It’s a world we never saw ourselves living in, and yet here we are. At least we have each other and are together as a family. I promise you, things might look bleak, but we need to be grateful for what we have.”

“It just all feels so hopeless,” Allison finally said.

“I know,” Matthew said. “It shouldn’t feel that way, though. We’ll get through this. I promise.”

Allison let out a shuddering breath, but didn’t respond.

“Can I get you anything?” Matthew asked anxiously, trying to read the distress on her face. “Even if it is Lucky Charms?”

Allison shook her head. “No, thank you. I should get back to work.”

“Out of the question,” David finally chimed in. He moved closer to the couch. “You’ll stay inside and rest up. Your father will help us put the finishing touches on the composting toilet.”

Allison’s brow furrowed as though she was ready to disagree, but Matthew shook his head at her. “Your grandfather is right,” he said. “Stay here. Take a breather.”

Allison paused, as if trying to figure out how she could fight back, but then finally gave in and sank back onto the couch. Her eyes closed and she let out a sigh.

Matthew watched her for a moment and felt his heart twist. He hated that she’d felt so distraught and he still didn’t quite understand why. Even though the world had changed, it wasn’t enough reason for her to act this way. He looked up at his father, and David motioned for Matthew to follow him. Together, they walked outside and stood on the porch.

Matthew put his hands on his hips. He could feel the heat radiate off the wood. The sunlight shone on the leaves that lay lank without a breeze, and saw the blinding small bursts of light reflect off of them.

“Matt, don’t take this the wrong way,” David began.

“It’s never anything good when you start off like that,” Matthew said, feeling suddenly defensive.

“Why are you so insistent that we get all of the hotel’s reconstruction projects done right away?” David asked.

Matthew bristled at the question. “I’m only trying to make the hotel a safe place for our family. Isn’t that what we all want?”

“It’s not just that,” David said. “We’ve all been trying to keep up with the tasks you’ve assigned us, but it seems like you have a one-track mind. Your kids are worried they’ll appear weak if they ask for a break. I feel like I’ll disappoint you if I don’t keep up with you.”

Matthew looked at his father with alarm. “It’s not like that,” he said. “I don’t want you to feel that way. I want us to all feel like the hotel is a safe place where we can relax.”

“You mean you want Kathleen to feel like the hotel is a safe place,” David said.

Matthew bit his lip. He didn’t want to admit to that. Doing so felt like a sort of betrayal. Why did it always feel like he had to choose between his wife and his father these days?

“She’s the one that doesn’t feel safe,” David reiterated. “She’s been different. I know you see it, just like me and your mother see it. The kids sense it. She’s been short-tempered with all of us.”

“And paranoid,” Matthew admitted. Saying it out loud filled him with relief and also unease. “She’s convinced someone has been watching the property. She acts as if an invading army is on the way. I’ve looked, but I don’t see any signs of someone out there like she says.”

David’s face darkened with worry. “Do you think she’s imagining it?” he asked gently.

Matthew