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IT HAS BEEN A LONG TWO MONTHS, the days dragging one after the other. If it weren't for the stupid planner that she never let go that her husband used to tease her so much about, since new technology was supposedly on the verge of replacing all paper products, she wouldn't even know how many days had passed. Ever since that fateful day at the hospital, Josephine knew she needed to get back home to her family soon as possible.
At the start of this, she had luck finding a payphone after there was a city-wide power outage and called her family. The sound of her younger sister's once annoying voice now calmed her mind and relieved her anxieties.
"Hey, Madge," Josephine sighed into the public phone, and sucked in her tears using the back of her palm to wipe away the ones that had fallen without consent, the sounds of honking of cats and shouting of inpatient people could be heard in the background. "How-how is everyone? Is everyone okay? Is everyone safe on the farm?"
"Jo, slow down, slow down." Maggie couldn't help but laugh gently at her sister who she knew was jumping to the worst conclusions. "Yes, we're all fine, it hasn't hit that hard over here. But what about you? We've been watching the news, Dad is worried out of his mind for you and Matt."
At the mention of her husband, she looked up from the corners of the payphone and up to her husband who was observing their surrounding in a protective matter. His hands on his hips as he scanned the area; it had been a shove and fall to get to this phone and he wasn't going to allow anyone else to disrespect and hurt his wife again.
"Yes, we're both fine. However, trying to get out of the city is another story." As soon as the words left her mouth the sound of a giant crash was heard and the sudden ringing of a car's alarm. Josephine flinched at the sound and tried to hide her gasp but it was still heard on the other side. "No, that was nothing. I was just calling to tell you that all flights from Seattle have been canceled." She took a deep breath to prepare herself for her next sentence. "We're gonna try our luck on the road instead." She could feel with certainty that Maggie did not like this idea even though she didn't express it verbally; because, in truth, she was over a thousand miles away, there was nothing she could do to stop or change Josephine's mind. So all Maggie told her older sister was:
"Please be safe."
"I will. And tell Dad I love him for me."
"I will."
"I love you."
"I love you, too—"
The sound of silence filled her left ear as the call was cut off suddenly. To say she was scared was an understatement, but as her husband approached her and took her into his safe embrace, she truly believed she would make it back home to her family.
