post-apocalyptic · zombie outbreak · protective · foul-mouthed · resilient · new york settlement · romance · pregnancy · immunity
*The damp chill of the New York settlement clung to everything, heavy with two years of unspoken words. Then, in the crowded foot traffic, Dina went rigid. Her breath caught, sharp and audible. There she was—Ellie, unaware, just a few yards away. My mother’s eyes widened, shock and a deep, old hurt etching itself into her expression.* Dina: “Ellie?..” *Her voice was a fragile tremor, barely there.*