Chapter 7 - A New Addition

Look at me, remembering to post a picture of the house in the daylight!

Craig could barely contain his excitement.  He'd managed to install the new oven this morning while Zoe was still asleep.  He couldn't wait to see her eyes light up! 

Grabbing the ingredients from the fridge, he started to prep some chili con carne.  No fake meat, no watering it down... this wasn't the post-apocalyptic food they'd gotten used to.  This was grade-A, top-notch ingredients!

"It smells great, Dad!" Yoshi said, inhaling the aroma as he dished out a few bowls.

Feeling creative, Craig pinched off a few leaves of herbs and added the garnish to the plate.  "Go get your Mom," he told her.

The family sat down together and gave us blessing for the bounty.  "This is incredible!" Zoe said with a tear in her eye.  "It reminds me of before."

Yoshi listened as her parents told tales about all the foods their parents had tried before the Super Bowl Blowout.

"Oh! And fried twinkies!" Craig added.

Zoe laughed. "Oh Craig! That's awful!" she teased.

Craig gazed at his wife lovingly, reaching for her hands for the contact. 

He wanted to take advantage of every moment and remember every second that they spent together.

He would love her like it was the last time. 

 Yoshi finished her chores and lessons, then called Orlando over.

He  couldn't wait to get his hands on her.  "I'm glad you called me over, babe!"

She rested her head on his shoulder.  "I needed to see you" she told him, blurting out, "I think I love you!"

Orlando kissed her neck. "I know I love you!"

"So, does that mean we're, like, boyfriend and girlfriend?" Yoshi asked.

"Yeah, definitely!"

Coming inside with Orlando behind her, she asked her Dad to set another place for her boyfriend.  She grabbed the chair from the broken chess table and had him sit next to her. 

She wasn't sure why her dad was being so quiet, but Mom kept up the conversation, asking Orlando about his family and what his interests were.

 "Who did you say that young man was again?" Zoe whispered as Yoshi put away the food.

Yoshi bit her lip. "He's my boyfriend, Mom."

 Mom nodded and walked away, but Yoshi could tell she wasn't handling her memory loss well.

"Maybe I should stay home," Yoshi worried out loud to Orlando.  "I don't want to leave Mom alone."

Orlando looked towards his girl's mom and then back at her worried face.  "If you want, I'll stay with her," he told her.  "I know they need you at the soup kitchen."

 "Really? Oh that would be wonderful!" Yoshi said exuberantly, squeezing him tight.

After she left, Orlando sat and awkwardly considered what to do.  He'd never watch a noncognizant elder before...

He tried starting up a friendly conversation, but she just irritably told him she didn't need a babysitter. 

 It was apparently more than he could take.  Orlando raced down the front steps and ran from the house.

 Oh wait, he's running after Brandon?  He must've seen him walk by.

"Hey Brandon! Wait up!" Orlando yelled.

"You're friends with Dr. Sharp, right?" Orlando asked.

Brandon glanced towards the Sharp's house. "Yeah, is everything okay?" he asked quickly, with alarm.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's cool. It's just that.." Orlando hesitated.  "Yoshi asked me to sit with her mom and I don't think Dr. Sharp likes it very much."  He whispered that last part.

"Ah, I get it," Brandon said in understanding. 

He headed inside and called out, "Hello, old friend!" 

 Zoe was overjoyed to see Brandon.  Look at that smile!

Happy Birthday Craig!

Craig didn't really say anything, just brought in the extra chair.  If the boy was going to be coming over for dinner more often, there should be a seat for him.

 When he heard her carpool drive up, Orlando headed outside to see his girl.

 "Missed you," he told her, not caring if it sounded sappy.

 "Thanks again for hanging out with my mom. That really relieved my mind!" she told him.

 Since the parents headed to bed early, Yoshi and Orlando got hot and heavy on the couch. 

It was going to be a challenge with two elderly parents, Yoshi thought on waking in the morning.  She was going to have to be the responsible one.  Be patient, she reminded herself.

She heard crying in the bathroom.  Gently she knocked on the door.  "Mom, is that you?"

The crying stopped and Yoshi heard her Mom rustling in the bathroom before calling out, "I'm okay."

"Can I come in?" she asked.

The door opened and Zoe pulled her daughter into her arms for a hug.  "Mom? Are you sure you're okay?" Yoshi asked worriedly.

"I'm perfectly fine, dear," Zoe said, dashing the wetness from her eyes.  "I love you for asking.  No," she said firmly. "Out you go! I need to take a shower!"

Yoshi didn't mention finding her mother crying in the bathroom and the day continued as though it was just another day.  

 As they walked to the soup kitchen, Yoshi's gaze lingered on the obstacle course.

There was no work to be done today.  It was just a social visit.  Yoshi thought it would be nice for her parents to get out of the house and socialize.  Her mom had gushed about Brandon's visit, so Yoshi knew her mom missed being with her friends.

 The Zombie had other plans.  Dr. Toby, Zoe's old coworker.

In order to attack, the Zombie must first greet someone.  I'm dying of suspense to see who the polite Zombie attacks.

Apparently Toby hasn't settled on whose brain is tastier.  

 Oh no! Protect Zoe's brains! 

The sudden attack left the townspeople surprised and craning to see who was fighting for their very life.

Oh no! Brandon!

Horrified by the spectacle in front of her, Zoe grabbed her parents and raced home.  She never saw whether Brandon or the Zombie won, but in her heart, she hoped Brandon made it.

 "Cute hair," a neighbor strolling by complimented her.

Yoshi's hand drifted up to touch the short chop.  "Thanks. I like yours too!"

The two young ladies found they had a lot in common.  They both were interested in furthering their education.

They also had an avid interest in culinary arts.  "My dad is the chef that came up with the recipe for chili sin carne.  It's basically a veggie stew," she announced.

 "I'll be back soon, hon," Craig said, pinching Zoe on the tush. 

 It was his shift at the soup kitchen.

"Stop jumping on the couch," Zoe said as she prepared their daily meal.

Yoshi kept bouncing. "But mom, you always let me jump on the couch!"

Zoe rolled her eyes.  "My memory is not that bad, young lady!" she said sternly.

Yoshi laughed, then bounced off the couch.  "Sorry mom."

"My you're just bursting with energy today!" Zoe said, sitting down.  "Why don't you run and get your Dad for dinner."

"Um, Dad's at work, remember?" Yoshi looked at her mom, concern in her eyes.

"A small memory lapse," Zoe said dismissively, waving her hand.

"Yoshi, did you feed the cat today?" Craig asked her after he came home. 

"Dad, we don't have a cat," she said slowly.

Craig paused, trying to remember why he thought they had a cat.

"I thought I had more time before I had problems with my memory," Craig said in a hushed voice, quiet so that Yoshi didn't overhear his concerns.

Zoe shook her head sadly.  "It seems as though it's worse everyday," she told him.

"You were a doctor, is there anything we can do?"

"I was a doctor?" Zoe asked with surprise.

It felt slightly scandalous to make a meal just for herself.  All those years growing up, she could only eat one meal a day.  The whole world felt completely different now!

She ate slowly, relishing the cereal. So fresh and flavorful! Nothing at all like day-old oatmeal or watered down gruel!  She was so happy the culinary restrictions that had plagued the town since the Apocalypse were finished!

Knowing it was time to start making friends of her own, Yoshi greeted Brandi as she walked by.

At the same time, the cutest dog passed by. 

 "Aw, what are you doing out in the cold, old fella?" Yoshi asked, kneeling down to stroke his fur.  She could tell he was older because his coat was speckled with white fur. 

But suddenly, the dog started backing and running around crazily.  Yoshi glanced up and saw the Zombie lumbering towards them.   Quickly, she said goodbye and ran to safety.

 Bored, she sat on her bed in her alcove and watched from her window.

She was pleasantly surprised when Brandi walked by their trailer again.  Although, it didn't seem that Brandi enjoyed having a conversation with a teenager.

She blamed her curt goodbye on the slowly approaching Zombie.  So much for socializing this afternoon!

 "Mom, I'm going to make dinner!" Yoshi announced, boiling the water for the noodles.

"This is delicious, dear!" Zoe said with amazement after her first bite.  "Where did you learn to cook so well?!"

Yoshi smiled at the praise from her mother. "I really just picked it up working at the soup kitchen."

Zoe cocked her head questioningly.  "You work at the soup kitchen?"

Yoshi paused a few beats before answering.  "Yeah, I just started," she lied.  "I must have forgotten to tell you."

Zoe reached over to pat her hand. "That's okay, dear. I think you'll enjoy working with your Dad!"

Yoshi ran outside after dinner.  "Stupid... furking.. I hate elderly noncognizance!" she cried, wildly pacing outside and trying to keep from crying.  A feeling of frustration bore from helplessness rose up in her.  Angrily, she kicked the trash can. 

Immediately contrite, and her toe hurting, Yoshi gathered up the trash to take it inside.

Zoe smiled at her daughter when she walked in.  "I'm just making dinner. Are you hungry?" she asked.

Yoshi paused and stared at her mother incredulously.  "I actually have a bit of a headache, mom.  I'm going to go lie down."

Thankfully, Yoshi had the last couple of days off.  But, she needed to go to work today.  She had a plan, though.

"Mom, is it okay if Orlando comes over for lunch?" she asked.

"That's fine, dear," Zoe agreed.

"Thanks for coming ov... Zombie!" Yoshi pointed, then stumbled as Orlando tugged her inside to safety.

Wishing she knew more recipes to show off a little bit for Orlando, Yoshi settled for making some fancy grilled cheese.

They ate the meal quietly, with a few murmurings of compliments to the chef.

Suddenly, out of the blue Craig asked gruffly, "So what are your intentions towards my daughter?"

 "Dad!"

"Craig!"

Yoshi and Zoe admonished, startled at the abrupt questioning. 

Orlando handled it well, though.  "Well, I love her, sir.  I know we're still young, but I'd like to marry her one day."

Craig grunted. "We'll see," seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"I have to go to work.  Be nice, Daddy," Yoshi said, her eyes darting to her boyfriend and silently apologizing.

After lunch, Zoe excused herself and headed into the bathroom, wringing her hands and attempting deep, calm breathing.  About midway through the meal, she'd realized she had no clue who the young man at the table was!

Craig wasn't done interrogating Yoshi's beau.  "How do you intend to support her?" he asked out of the blue. 

"I'm not really sure, sir.  But, I volunteer with the neighborhood watch.  I think I would want to continue doing something like that."

Craig huffed.

When she got home, Yoshi was surprised that Orlando was gone. "You scared him away, didn't you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Bah! I sent him home. I don't need a babysitter," her Dad replied obstinately.

Yoshi mopped up the puddle of the water gathering in the bathroom.  Normally mom or dad would've fixed the shower, but she couldn't do it.  So it just continued to leak.

Sometimes it was exhausting being a teenager with noncognizant elderly parents.

 Her parents weren't handling it very well either.

 The carpool drove away, the brake lights shining in the distance.

 Happy Birthday Yoshi!

Oops.

The house was quiet when Yoshi entered.  Her parents must already be asleep. 

No matter, there was only one person she wanted to see right now.

 She was waiting on the front porch for him, like she'd been doing for so many years.

He eagerly agreed to move in.

Then dropped to his knee and asked her to marry him.  "I've been waiting since I was 16 for this," he told her.

Yoshi happily agreed.  "I knew I would marry you one day," she admitted, telling him about that fateful day when she was a young girl and he'd heroically saved her from the Zombie.

The couch had been slightly uncomfortable.  It definitely looked like it had seen better times!  But, because she shared a room with her parents, him sleeping in her bed was definitely out.  She said they would work on setting up a bedroom upstairs today.

 But first, she needed to tell her parents.

Yoshi called her parents into the livingroom.  "Mom, Dad," she said, holding Orlando's hand and beaming at her parents.  "There's something we want to tell you!"

The astonished parents had known that the young couple was in love, but they hadn't expected such an early marriage!

Over their suggestions to wait a few years to see if they still felt the same way, Yoshi & Orlando exchanged their vows, promising to love each other until the end of time.

 Thankfully, the 2nd floor was fully enclosed now.  Serendipity! Yoshi thought.

"I'll see you after work, Mom. Don't give Orlando a hard time!" she teased.

Orlando respectfully kissed Yoshi's cheek.  "I'll just get the room set up for tonight," he whispered.

She squeezed his hand. "I can't wait!"

There was no time for a honeymoon during the Apocalypse.

Orlando heard a scratching at the door.  Cautiously, he peered through the window to see what the noise was.  Zombies had been known to try to enter a house. 

He threw open the door when he saw a dog, looking cold and hungry.

"Aw, aren't you a sweetheart, aren't you girl?" he cooed, stroking the dog's head, then amending his earlier statement with a chuckle when the dog rolled over.  "Ah, I mean, aren't you boy?"

Not wanting to interrupt Yoshi's parents, but feeling the need to give them a heads up about their new addition, Orlando knocked on the door.  He still felt like he was skating on thin ice after their reaction to Yoshi and his marriage.

"Mr. Sharp, Mrs. Sharp?" he asked, poking his head in.  "I just wanted to let you know that I..."

Webster lumbered in and jumped on their bed.
 

What happened next was a blur.  Yoshi got home from work, so Orlando went to greet her, leaving his in-laws to finish dancing.  The next thing he knew, he heard a shout from the bedroom and bedlam ensued.

In the end, they said goodbye to Dr. Zoe Sharp, renowned Chief of Staff, famed author, beloved mother

 It was almost more than Craig could bare.

*AN: NOOOOOOOOOOO, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Zoe! She must've died happily in Craig's arms, because they were dancing seconds before when I checked on them.  💔 *heart/broke*  Much of their elder, non-selectable lives were spent romancing each other.  They even went outside to watch the stars together. They were half-covered in snow, but it made me say "Awwwww!"

I was glad Orlando turned out to be such a support, sweet guy.  He autonomously checked on Yoshi so much.  I loved the scene where he went to greet her outside after she got home from work. Although, my all time fave had to be when he bolted out of the house to flag down Brandon.  I chuckled at the thought of him convincing Brandon to deal with Zoe. 

The parents hilarious reactions to the marriage was caused because I'd called them both into the room right before the vows were exchanged.  Apparently the parents were complaining about not being able to get to the spot Yoshie called them to.  But, still, it certainly looked like they were not thrilled with the wedding vows! 😂

Although we had to say goodbye to Zoe, we have some good things on the way!  I'm sure the nursery will be put to use again soon with how amorous the young couple is!