𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐘. ❝I'd go to hell and back for you, Joel Miller. Don't you ever forget that.❞
In which Kathy Williams is determined to keep her niece safe during the apocalypse, even if it meant having to accept the help of a smuggler th...
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𝕺𝖜𝖓 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖘𝖙 𝕰𝖓𝖊𝖒𝖞
- CHAPTER THIRTY SIX - BIRTHDAY SURPRISE
ANOTHER YEAR HAD passed, living in the safety of Jackson without serious danger or threats. Ellie's guitar lessons were going well, very well in fact. She carried the guitar practically everywhere, even a year later. It was Ellie's fifteenth birthday and Joel and Kathy were taking her through the woods to her present. She sat on a log in the woods and strummed her guitar while they watched.
"That's starting to sound like something." Joel complimented the girl who by now was basically his surrogate daughter. Kathy and Joel were closer than ever and never really grew out of their new couple faze.
Ellie groaned and stopped strumming, "Ugh, I suck."
"Nah...Just need to build up your calluses, that's all." Joel assured her.
"Don't worry kiddo, you'll be playin' like Richie Sambora in no time." Kathy added, looping her arm through Joel's and hugging his arm. It was cliche habit, but after all this time, Ellie still found it adorable.
"Who?"
"Aw, come on, Ellie. I thought I taught you better than that! He was the guitarist for Bon Jovi, the best band that came out of the 80's." Kathy exclaimed with a chuckle. Ellie pursed her lip and pulled a face, showing that she still didn't recognise the name. Kathy sighed in defeat, "All right, let's go. And when we get home, I'll show you what you're missing."
"Is this it?" Ellie asked in surprise, setting her guitar down by the horse they'd rode to get where they were.
"Yeah."
"Oh, shit!" The teen got up and followed the adults. She announced, "I'm gonna start guessing."
"You wanna spoil your surprise now?" Joel asked, looking back at her as they walked.
"I dunno...Is it...a dinosaur?" Ellie guessed.
"Stop trying to guess, kiddo. We ain't gonna tell ya." Kathy chuckled while shaking her head.
Ellie groaned, but continued anyway, "All right. Is it...an elephant?" Joel and Kathy didn't reply, "Is it a convertible?"
"You're not gonna guess." Joel remarked with a smirk.
"Is it a puppy? Is it a lotta kittens?"
"You mean a litter?"
"What's a litter?"
"A bunch of kittens." Joel said as he held back a branch while Kathy and Ellie carefully walked across a ledge that overlooked a quiet lake.
"Mind your step." Joel told the teen with a mischievous look in his eyes. As Ellie shuffled passed him, he nudged her and she fell into the water with a loud splash. "Oops."
