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“Everybody dies, but not everybody really lives. I said we should make a list of all the stuff we wanted to do while we’re still alive. Because you don’t know how long it’ll last.”
“These plants are called Lamb’s ear,” Quinn explained. “They have soft, absorbent leaves that are big and broad. They’re edible and medicinal. They can be used as bandages and have anti-bacterial properties. They’re best known as a good toilet paper alternative. Mullein works great, too, with its larger leaves.”
She knew how much this meant to Milo. She knew how much Hannah must need this. She couldn’t imagine what Hannah had gone through to get here, the battles she had fought and won to make it back to her family.
What a gift this was: to have lost something precious, and after all hope was gone, to find it again.
“You just add a cup of ice melt salt, like what they use on roads and sidewalks. But make sure it has the calcium chloride stuff in it.” He poured the salt into the sandwich bag, then picked up the smaller baggie. “Add half a cup of water to this one and push out all the air bubbles, then seal it.” Milo had put the water bag inside the larger ice salt bag and sealed it. He’d handed it to Hannah, his face beaming. “Keep them in your coat pocket. When you go outside, squeeze it to puncture the water bag, then shake it to activate. Boom!”
Nothing that truly mattered in life came easily. That was as true before the collapse as after. Nothing was owed to you. Nothing. Not love. Not freedom. Not even family. Relationships weren’t a given. They weren’t a right. They were made. They were forged through blood, sweat, and tears. Through time, energy, and commitment. Through good times and bad, through hope and despair. Love had to be earned. So did freedom. Sometimes it had to be earned again and again. If you weren’t careful, it slipped right through your fingers.
