The Retribution Initiative

We Were Safe

-Judith-

Frozen crustaceans clattered into the frying pan. I tossed the empty biodegradable bag onto the counter, then winced. Seven shrimp lay meekly in the pan. Only seven. It was hardly enough for one person's meal, much less three. And Nikolas was going through a growth spurt again. I sighed and felt the stress creep into my shoulders. No, just breathe. What was it that Merle always said? Everything works out. Just trust. Who was I supposed to trust, exactly? Merle never really answered that question. He said it was for me to find out. I let out another sigh. I didn't have time for that right now. Right now, I had a family to feed, a house to keep, and a job that hardly paid the bills. Trusting would have to wait.

I felt my shoulders knotting up, and I reached up to try to rub it out. It just wasn't fair. The Endars could afford to buy pre-prepared meals, delivered right on their doorstep. I'd seen them on the advertising boards; every meal was piled high with protein and seasoned to perfection. And very expensive. No Endar had to count the shrimp in their food. And shrimp was so expensive now, too! I looked at the pitiful pan on the stove. Those things probably cost two, maybe three days of my wage? Outrageous. Things used to be so much more affordable when I was a kid. I never remember my parents needing to ration like I do now. My stomach twisted. I wish I hadn't brought Nikolas into all of this. Not that Liam and I knew, I suppose. But could we have predicted it? Maybe we were just selfish, having a child just because we wanted one. Maybe it would have been better if...

No. I can't go there. Make supper, Judith. Stop thinking.

I leaned down to tap the stove's screen and program the temperature. The glass clicked against my fingernails. A moment later, the electric plate under the pan began to glow red. The ice on the shrimp began to melt. I saw the glitch before it happened. My hands flew towards the auto-off switch, but it was too late. With a loud pop, the stove sent a shower of sparks into the air before the red heat of the cooking surface died. The screen blinked to black. The shrimp still lay cold in the skillet. I allowed myself a loud sigh, knotting my fingers in my hair. Unreal. Of all the times, why now?

Calm down, it's okay. Let's get it fixed.

My work bag was still on the floor where I'd dropped it when I came in. I carried it the few strides into the kitchen, busying myself with removing the front panel of the stove. Again. This would be the third wire I'd be replacing at this point. The real problem was the heating element; it was just getting old and couldn't handle the occasional power surges that were too common in our equally-old apartment building. But we couldn't afford to replace the element. The best thing I could do was patch in a fresh wire. I felt suddenly uncomfortable. I hated bringing work home. Without bidding, the day's memories flooded back as my hands worked mindlessly. This morning, we'd had worked on wiring the seventh floor of the new office building on Kolokai Avenue. That one was alright, I guess. We've been working on that project for about a week without many major issues. This afternoon, though, I was called out to an Endar woman's home. I knew she was going to be a problem as soon as she got a look at me. She wouldn't even let me come in her front door. She made climb in a back window instead. I think I even heard her whisper "wrecker" when I left.

"What a skag," I muttered to myself. It didn't matter that I had fixed her faulty home assist droid. It didn't matter that I was professional, courteous, and quick. The only thing that mattered to her was the color of my skin.
The front door slid open behind me. I turned to see an extremely attractive man walk in. He was tall, with black curls cut close to his head, accenting his finely curved cheekbones. The teal hospital scrubs he wore concealed strong muscles, but his stride still conveyed them. Even after five years of marriage, he always made butterflies leap in my stomach. I couldn't help but smile.

"Hi, honey."

Liam's gentle brown eyes scanned the room at the sound of my voice, then dropped to me where I sat on the floor. "Hey, baby. Stove fritz out again?"