INTRUDER

NOW

"Are you ready?" Susanne asked.

"Yes, we are," Ellie and I both told Susanne. We had just gotten out of the shower. We were going to the ice cream shop that we went when we first met. When everything was semi-normal. Before everyone started dying. Before my pills. Before meeting Lynn.

"Okie Dokie! Let's hit the road!" Cheered Johnny as he raced towards the car. I let myself laugh at Johnny's funny nature.

We drove down the old cracked road to the little worn out ice cream shack. It was pretty old but dang it was delicious in there. Every single flavor made your mouth jump with enormous delight. It was like putting pure happiness into your mouth. Maybe that is why Johnny and Susanne chose this place as a first to go after we had this trauma. This place is so lovely that it makes you forget all your worries, all your doubts, all your insecurities. It makes you feel safe and loved. It makes you feel like you can be you without anyone looking at you in a weird way because of what your past was like. That is what makes me really happy, when I don't have to lie. I have to stop lying, but can I?

We finish our delicious ice cream. I get up to pay for the ice cream but Johnny stopped me as soon as I hand the kind lady my 20 dollar bill. 
"No, I will pay," I told him. He smiled and took a 20 dollar bill out of his wallet.

"Claire, I will pay," I laugh and give my 20 dollar bill to the woman.

The woman at the box looks so confused so she just takes my money.

Johnny slumps down and looks at me.

"Claire, you didn't have to."

I just look at him and tell him:

"This is a thank you for every single thing that you do with us. I love you guys and this is my way of showing you that!" I smile and hug him.

He is surprised at the hug but he hugs me back and we go to the table.

"What took you so long?" Ellie asks when we get back.

"We were just talking and paying."

Susanne smiles and I start to wonder if she knows what just happened over there with the money. It probably has happened before with how nice and generous he is.

We arrive back home and the coziness of the place is still with us and it feels great. Ellie jumps on the couch and turns on the big television.

I have not really ever looked at our new house or anything and I never explored it.

I start to walk around and notice that the house is a shade of yellow. There is a beautiful garden coming outside. The House is fairly big and it is two stories tall. The Windows are big panes of glass. There are five in total that extend throughout the house. There are rock lined up around the perimeter of the house and the door is a tall brown structure. If you enter inside you can see the fireplace underneath the wide screen T.V. The couch is in front of the tv and it combines with the color of the wood floor. The wood floor is a delicate shade of dark brown and it covers the entire two floors. The stairs are the only difference because it is made out of carpet. The kitchen is wide and has its own separate room to it. The kitchen has a lot of cabinets, cup lined, ally of light, there is a island in the middle where you can cook at. Everything's is in black and white and in marble. It's someone's dream kitchen and everyone wants to have it. I would say that this home is one of the most modernist of all the houses in this small town.

The rooms are all personalized, like I had said before but I have never seen Johnny or Susanne's room, I know that they told me j could go in there anytime but I don't want to be rude and have my head poked into their business. I didn't want to be noisy at all. So I have kept them some space.

The bathrooms are also personalized too, just like the rooms.

A question pops into my brain. Why did Susanne want girls so badly? Why us?

"Susanne? Can I ask you a question?" I ask, heading into the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure, you can ask me anything," she smiles.

"Why did you want us?" I ask Susanne.

"Claire, I hope you will understand, I have been meaning to tell you."

"Tell me what?" I am so confused.

"Okay, I have been meaning to tell you that I can't have any children, I have tried, Claire. I have. But it just never happened so it just broke my heart. I felt dead when I went to the doctor and he broke the news for me. It felt like there was something dead in me. I cried for days and I had no idea what to do."

"Oh, Susanne. I am so sorry. I had no idea," and I fully understand. I fully understand how hard it was and how depressing it is to find out about you not being able to have kids. It makes you feel incapable of doing anything and maybe you could feel stupid sometimes. Life would just be sad because in life: you want so many things and sometimes you can't have all of them.

It's a really sad thing to think about.