Duncan didn’t even look at Darlene.  “After I eat.  I’ll … just … trust me that’s better.”  He was definitely trying to be angry.

He grabbed some deer stew and heated it up, sat down and and wolfed down a few bites.  But soon it was apparent that his appetite was off.  The letter was bugging him.  He got up and grabbed it off the table and sat down to try and read while he ate.  But he had barely glanced at it before setting it down again.

For a short time he seemed deep in thought.  Then he finally spoke again.  “Neither of us is ever going to find anyone who hasn’t lost someone ever again.  The Plague hit everywhere.  I didn’t just make up those numbers.  The last head of CDC did her residency under my foster mother.  They were in contact.  It was an influenza type virus similar to Spanish flu, but deadlier.  I guess that doesn’t mean much to you.

“I didn’t ask you to leave you memories in the desert, only your problems.  The idea was for you to accept that there was nothing you could do.  Best thing I can suggest that that you ask yourself everyday what those people would want for you now.  I lost my family twice.  But my both my mothers and my foster father would have wanted the best for me.  So I am making the best of things.

“I got through all this by staying busy, by not thinking about how messed up everything is.  By how close the human race is to extinction.  Then you came along … and left.”  He closed his eyes for a moment.  His voice was quiet.  “That hurt.”

He went back to eating for a little bit before starting again.  “I spent years trying to be normal.  But I got my GED at age 11, published my first book at age 12.  Got my first college degrees at age 13 - and published another book.  At 15 I published my first bestseller and had my first PhD’s.  Three weeks after I got all shot up I joined the football team and led them to a State Championship from last place - as a Kicker.  I was going to be the team captain last fall.  I was supposed to play the Prince in our version of Disney’s Descendants.  I tried to be normal.

“I thought I could handle being alone.  It’s never bothered me.  But when you took off.” There was pain in his face.  “Like I said, it hurt.”  He paused, then added.  “I could go and get your RV again.  I was just mad.  Or you could sleep in the bed.  I can use the couch.  But I started loading up to go to Florida.  It is going to take a good week or so to load everything.  The animals and feed are last.”