1 Chapter 1;

"No, you can have what Grandpa and Grandma give you. Not what you want." I tell my five year old son Lucas who is jumping up and down on his little feet, his excitement clearly visible on the little boys face. The soft tugging at the corner of his lips as he smiles up at me and his grandparents. He stands at my waist as it was, his height not belonging to me. Only being five feet five inches, I myself can only imagine his future years. 

"Please, do not let him have ice cream again before dinner. He stayed up til midnight with you guys last time." I tell my parents as my attention is halfway on them, and the tugging on my work apron. "Remember his birthday is next week. So, no cake til then." His patience visually showing as I bend down to his level, taking out a small sucker from my apron. 

"Here. Enjoy it. I love you Lucas." I say, kissing the top of his head before standing and reaching down and zipping up his jacket. It was already sun down, and I knew it was going to get nippy outside. "Be safe, and please call me as soon as you guys make it there." 

The disadvantage of having my parents live over four hours away always made my hairs stand on end when he was away. Not because of who he was with, but because of the distance. They decided for their retirement it was best to buy my grandfathers farm and begin their retirement secluded from society, living alone. Yes, he was just a phone call away, and I know I will see him after my work shift is over for the weekend. The only thing making it easier for me. I still don't like the thought of him away. I offer a small wave and an air kiss as he walks away hand in hand with his grandparents. Lucas is a shy centered child, keeping to himself for the most part, but allowing himself the social interaction when it's needed. 

With Lexington Grove being on the outer skirts of the nearest city, my grandfather's plantation was almost close to the state line. The ride was always lengthy, but the destination always made up for it. The plantation lays on thirty acres, fenced in with horses and all kinda of animals and hiding spots for children. 

With a collective sigh I turn around and head down the isle, toward the staff room at the back of the store. Lucas is almost a spitting image of myself. His blonde hair and green eyes almost identical to my blonde long wavy hair and blue eyes. I was on the clock for the next eight hours, already knowing how my night was going to go as they usually did. 

Taking on an extra shift just to put Lucas into school was exhausting to say the least, but worth it in the end. Our store closing at ten, but with inventory and stocking the hours stretch on. With his vocabulary growing and his social awareness broadening, it was inevitable that he is top of his small fifteen person class. 

Before I knew it, my phone was vibrating inside my apron pocket and the name Dad displays on the screen. Answering it quickly, I can already hear the soft familiar voice on the other end of the line. 

"Hi mommy. We made it to grandpa's." The little voice tells me as I place another item on the shelf, restocking it as I take this call. "We're about to go eat pizza, then feed the horses. I'll call you before bedtime. Love you!"

Before I could even get out an 'I love you' back there was a click on the other end of the line. All I could do was laugh at what had just taken place. I shake my head before my phone is back inside my pocket, and the rest of the items are stocked and straightened on the shelf. 

I take it upon myself to take the brown box that carried the items into the back docking area of the retail store; where the trash cans are kept. The walk from the there includes going out the back door, and cross a small parking area. The door slams close behind me, locking me out as I make my escape. Oh, great. With the light breeze nipping at my skin, I hit the door once, a soft voice coming from the other side. 

"Woah, Supergirl! Don't break the door, what ever you do." Comes from Jasper; my co-worker and long time friend of the past six years. His parents were born in New York, moving him around after he was born from place to place only ever staying in one place for graduation, which happened to be in Lexington Grove. Being a good friend and colleague, I didn't mind the sarcasm that he expressed. His skin tone was a bit more caramelized than my own, considering his father is Italian. His hair almost a jet black when hit with the right lighting, and his eyes a milky brown. 

I express a soft smile for my gratitude as I walk back inside the warm store, rubbing my cold arms. Hearing the door close behind me, I thank Jasper properly now that we have escaped the cold. 

"Thank you. God only knows how long I would have been out there." I receive a chuckle from him and a nod of his head.

"The way the other people work here, you would have been out there all night." It was true. The lack of common sense from these people baffles me, but yet I'm still here. Not much of my choice, the pay is great. The company that it provides isn't too bad either. 

"Hey, my break is in like thirty minutes. Wanna get a bite and smoke?" I hear Jasper as we begin to move from the small hallway and past the vending machines. 

"Yeah. My break falls right around in there. Meet you on the roof?" I ask, our usual spot to get away from the chaos of adult life; for the time being. 

"Sounds good. See ya, there." And, with that we went our separate ways. I going to my designated section of the store, he to his own duties. Walking over to a shelf I straighten up a fallen item, the sound of the t.v overhead diverting me away from my task. 

"That's right Kevin, for the past hour alone people from all over the East Coast has been arriving at hospital's here complaining of the same illness. If you are having any symptoms, drowsiness, vomiting, light headed-ness, cramping; please travel to your nearest hospital. The CDC are saying they are trying their hardest as of right now to make a vaccine to help fight whatever this is. Back to you Kevin."

This was not how I wanted my shift to be going. Shaking my head, I walk away from the television as 'Kevin' continues speaking. My stomach beginning to growl as I walk over to the deli section of the store. 

"Hey Eunice. Can I get a few slices of pizza?" I ask her, a sweet older lady who's  red curls always stuck out of her cap,  and such a doll to Lucas everytime she sees him. 

"Of course. We just had a few pop out of the oven, you're in luck." She tells me with a soft smile as she walks to the front of the kitchen area. 

"Thank you so much. It's my break and I'm starving. Since Lucas is having pizza with his grandparents I thought, why not have some too?" We both chuckle softly at my comment.

"Here you go, and give this to Lucas when you see him. Have fun. Take your coat!" I hear her over my shoulder after I pick up my to-go box of pizzas and the sucker she had given for me to give to Lucas. 

"Thank you! I'll be by before I leave to go home in a few hours."

With my break time rounding the corner I decide to grab a Powerade from the cooler before meeting Jasper on the roof of our work. As I walk to the staff room to sign out for break, I pass my manager; Sherry. 

"After your break I'll need you to help me with inventory." She tells me, not even stopping as she passes by me. Hardly a glance. Working here, I've gotten use to the snobbiness of the upper management. 

"Okay, Ms. Sherry! See you in an hour." All I say. All she deserves to hear. If she didn't like me, why did she hire me? The disgust is clearly shown on her face every time I come into work. I let it pass, the pay was too good to let one person ruin it for my little family. 

Pushing the door open to the staff room I see my other co-worker Harper. Considering I've known Harper all my life, she and I were like any other group of girl friends. One day we hated each other, the next we had something important for the other person to known of. The usual girl thing. 

"Hey Clara. What's up?" I hear Harper say as soon as her eyes were on me. 

"About to go have this pizza for break. Maybe a little smoke. Wanna join Jasper and me?" I ask, sitting the small pizza box down on the counter so I could sign myself out. 

"I wish I could. It sounds tempting, but I gotta meet John at his work in twenty minutes. I'm already running late as it is." I can hear a bit of frustration in her voice. Harper and John's relationship was strained, but who's isn't after three years of being together?

"Oh, okay. Well, what are you doing tmorrow after our shift? We could go for a drink. God knows we need it."

A hesitant chuckle escapes Harper's lips as she unlocks her locker to retrieve her things. Besides Harper and Jasper, I rarely spoke to anyone else here. Except for Eunice. Her cooking is amazing, so it was inevitable that we became sociable with one another.

"I'll have to give you a call then. John is suppose to be working, so I'm sure I can make it." 

A soft smile plays on her lips as she closes her locker, her purse on her shoulder as she walks over to me. "I'll call you later Clara." Nodding lightly she kisses my cheek, doing the same before she leaves the room without another word. 

I feel for her. 

Signing name on the line for my break, I pick up my small box of pizzas and retrieve my jacket from my locker. I slide it onto my arms and zip it up before heading out of the staff room, and down the hall to the back door. With pizza box in hand, along with my Powerade I push the door open. A light breeze nipping instantly at my exposed cheeks, while my hair blows over my shoulder slightly. 

Night time, is the best time.

Making my way over to the ladder, I whistle up to signal Jasper; a head popping over the side, with a voice that follows. "Hey! 'Bout time!" I hear as I put one foot on the bottom step of the ladder.

"Send down the bucket! I got pizza!" We conducted a system, with the managers permission of course. With the help of Jasper's carpenter skills, and hard work from the both of us; we were able to build a levering system to bring up food, drink or whatever else we were in the mood for while on our break. 

"On the way!" Within a moment, the bucket was being sent down by the rope that is connected to a lever. The first few attempts we were oblivious to the rain problems and much more. Soon, Jasper and I created a full on place to where we could come and relax on the roof of our work. With the luck of there already being a picnic table and a few chairs, there wasn't much that was really needed for their place to become roomie while they were up there. 

I place the pizza box inside the bucket and the Powerade along with it, tapping it to let him know. "Alright!"

The bucket moves beside the ladder as I travel up, my shoes clanking on the metal as I go. It was fairly high, maybe two or three stories. The climb isn't that much of a problem; now. With the fear of heights stuffed into the back of my mind, I make it to the top; a hand stretches out to help me climb over the side. 

"Thank you." Letting out a small huff and a puff as my feet connect with the concrete roof, I smile softly. "I am starving! Thank God for Eunice." 

Taking my Powerade from the bucket along with the box, we move to the chairs and table to eat. With the discovery of realizing the rain was more of a problem, we set up a tarp all along the tops with wood and cement keeping it up. Time was spent on this, but more worth it for the both of us. Since most of our time is here. Other employees come up as well, promising to keep it clean as we had dome all the work to make it the way it was. 

The pizza box makes a thud as I place it down on the table, warming my hand from the heat of it. Opening it, I take out a slice quickly and take a bite. The cheese and sauce flavors combining in my mouth as I chew, swallowing away the remains. 

"When do you get off?" I asks as I sit down on the picnic bench, taking another bite of the hot pizza. 

"In three hours." Jasper calls out again, "Henry called out so I took his shift." He says in between bites and taking sips from his own drink. 

"Per usual." I comment, finishing off my slice quicker than I had it in my hand. My stomach now relaxing from its hunger.

"I can say the same with Kaylin, then?" I hear Jasper say. Taking on this shift, someone did have to call out. 

"That girl stays home more than she's at work." I shake my head as I reach for another slice, never understanding the lack of motivation from others. "Oh well, more money for Lucas and I." My shoulders rise and fall as I shrug. Her loss was my gain. 

Taking a bite of my fresh piece, I hear Jasper flicker on the small radio on the table. It is like our own hangout spot to get away from the chaos of our everyday lives. Everything we could need was up here, thanks to ourselves. We have a picnic table and chairs, protection from the rain when it wanted to keep us away. The rest we would bring up with us when it was needed. You never want things laying around for someone to take.

That's an invitation to trouble.

A short news broadcast can be heard from the small radio, almost like the one I heard earlier. 

"No, Kevin. I don't believe there has been any reports here per say, but they are popping up further west and south of New York now. It's like it's sweeping through the night." 

The reporter was speaking with a hesitation, almost as if she didn't want to be there doing her job. How bad could this sickness be?

"Damn. Have you been hearing this Clara?" Jasper speaks over the noise emitting from the radio, my distraction elsewhere at the moment.

"Oh yeah." Shaking my head, I swallow away the rest of the pizza in my mouth. "I'm going to call Lucas." 

Standing from my seat I wipe my hands on my apron, taking my phone from my pocket. I just needed to hear his voice. I tell myself as I go to my recent contacts and press on my fathers name, the dial tone instantly playing. For the next passing seconds feel like minutes before that familiar soft voice is on the end of the line.

"Hi mommy!! I was about to call you!" I hear Lucas say, excitement in his voice as he speaks to me. That's it. 

"Hey sweetie. Mommy just wanted to call and talk to you real quick. I miss you." A soft smile now playing on my lips as I can hear him running with the phone. 

"I miss you, mommy. It's almost bedtime, so I'll call you then, okay?" 

"Okay, but can I speak to grandpa first?" I asks quickly, knowing he would hang up if not. 

"Okay. Hang on mommy." 

I wait. 

And wait. 

"Hello dear. Sorry about that. How's work going?" My father asks. 

"Okay. Just wanted to call and check on you guys. Have you and mom been watching the news?" 

I can hear a sigh from the other end.

"Yes. Lucas is fine as of now. If he feels any different, we'll call." 

"Thank you. I love y'all."

"We love you too."

Click.

Well, Lucas is fine. I'm fine..