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II.
    Violet’s life before the war had been good, even if it had been pretty much ‘dead end’. She lived in an apartment with a friend from high school. After three years together they weren’t really friends anymore but Violet had nowhere else to go. She’d been on the bus when the sirens had sounded and the bombs had dropped.
    It had been the end of the world as far as she was concerned. No phones, no internet, no running water. But now she was settling in and growing comfortable in this new life. She lived in a house with three other women. Some days she helped Pauline in the gardens but mostly she helped Sue with the kids.
    “Hey Violet!”
    Violet rolled her eyes and thought, ‘Well, I like most things about my new life anyway.’
    “Evan’s back from the trading trip. I grabbed this for you.” The gangly awkward young man sat down beside her. She scooted over so there was space between them and didn’t touch the offered apple.
    “Thanks Matt, but I can wait until supper tonight.” Fresh food always got eaten first, even now that they had a few working refrigerators.
    “I didn’t steal it. Anne said I could take it.”
    She sighed inwardly. This wasn’t his first attempt at courting her and she knew how relentless he could be. She held out her hand. “All right, let me see it.” As he handed her the apple she pulled out the pocket knife she’d taken to carrying and called, “Hey! Who wants a bite of apple?”
    The kids dropped what they were doing in the backyard and swarmed over to her, bouncing eagerly. They made short work of the apple much to Matt’s dismay. As the children scattered again he said, “They brought back chickens too.”
    “Good. I’m tired of oatmeal and dry cereal for breakfast. When do you think we’ll get a cow?”
    “A cow was expensive before the war, now …”
    “I know. Maybe we could trade a tractor or something.”
    “So, I have watch tonight but maybe you want to have supper with me?”
    “I’m sorry Matt, it’s my night for clean-up at the house and then I’m reading the bed time story …”
    “What time do the brats go to bed? Eight? I have to be on the wall at six. There’s time.”
    She stood. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”
    He stood as well, blocking her escape. “Why not? It’s just dinner.”
    “Just dinner?”
    His face turned red and he shifted uncomfortably.
    “I’ve already told you Matt, I’m not interested in sex with you, I’m not interested in living with you, and I don’t want to date. Stop asking, stop bringing me gifts, or do I have to say something to Ryan?”
    He stepped aside. “No.” They’d already kicked out two men who had tried to rape Pauline. It didn’t matter that Violet wasn’t sleeping with Ryan like Pauline was; Matt still didn’t want to cross the town goon squad.
    She jogged towards the kids shouting, “Who wants to play Simon Says?” Soon she was surrounded.
    Matt stalked off kicking out at the flowers growing along the side of the house. Out of three dozen people only Matt and Violet were in their early twenties. There had been a few others in the Wyoming group but they had already found themselves romantic relationships and they hadn’t been interested in him at all. Matt wasn’t interested in older women, or in teenage girls, even if a few of them were batting their eyes at him.
    He’d made it to the house where he and two other single young men were living. Across the yard between a thin row of trees he could see Pauline, Ryan, and Sean working the garden in the yard they shared with Anne and Damian. The sight of Pauline in a pair of tight shorts, laughing as she worked, was enough to give Matt a hard on, even if she was too old for him. He retreated into the house.

III.
    Pauline was oblivious to Matt’s gaze; she was too busy working her garden. She bent to pull the weed she’d been working loose only to have Sean reach over and pinch her ample rear. She took a swing at him but the swat didn’t