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“No, absolutely no,” Maxine said, hugging her arms tighter to her chest. She crossed to the other side of their small room in Noah Base, away from where Paula was sitting on their bed.
“You aren’t even willing to discuss it?” Paula asked in a low, controlled voice. Her calm tone only seemed to enrage Maxine further.
“Not until you start saying something reasonable!” Maxine snapped. “Sara is the most wanted baby in the UK. Her father and you are fugitives. And I’m supposed to be dead.” Maxine paused, as if expecting Paula to argue back. When Paula stayed silent, Maxine let out a fast huff of air, and continued. “Sigrid’s people are everywhere in the woods around the base- Peter and Jody almost got caught by soldiers on a run just two days ago. And we haven’t even started talking about the usual zombie threat!”
“Won’t you please join me?” Paula tapped the side of the bed, gesturing for Maxine to sit. Maxine remained rooted to the spot “Alright then, stay there if you wish. Maxie, it’s nearly Sara’s first birthday. Children aren’t meant to be kept underground. When was the last time she saw daylight? The sky? She might not even remember.”
Maxine’s voice hardened. “I wish we could take her outside Noah Base too, but I won’t compromise her safety. She’s turning one—I’d like it if she made it to year two.”
Paula’s tone suddenly sharpened. “Maxie, are you implying I don’t care about Sara’s safety?”
“No, I—of course not. I know how much you love her. It’s just-” Maxine deflated. “This is just so hard. I know you want what’s best for her, but I really think that’s keeping her inside.”
“I think there is a way to do this safely, my love,” Paula said, softening once again. She tapped the bed next to her, and this time, Maxine slid down to sit beside her. Maxine leaned against her shoulder as if the argument had taken the last of her reserves, and Paula kissed the top of her head. “There’s a place Five and I found on a recent supply run. It’s about a half mile from the base; a very pretty part of the forest. I know Sara would enjoy it.”
Paula gently stroked Maxine’s hair until Maxine’s breathing slowed. “I don’t know,” Maxine said. “I’m still scared.”
“I know,” Paula said, grabbing Maxine’s hand and pulling them both to their feet. “How about we let it go for tonight and go find our beautiful baby. She’s not one yet.”
Maxine squeezed Paula’s hand and nodded, and the two headed to the rec room.
On the couch, the soon to be one-year-old was sandwiched between Five and Sam, her head just peeking out from under the red and white Afghan blanket. All the lights were off except for the gentle glow of the TV, where Timon, Pumba, and Simba were singing about living without worries.
Paula reached over as Five carefully handed her the sleeping baby. Softly, Paula kissed the girl’s cheek and rocked her gently. “She’s out, you know,” Paula said, not even trying to keep her voice down. Their baby slept like a rock, and The Lion King was much louder than her, anyway. “You can change it to something else if you like.”
“But it’s our problem-free…. philosophy!” Five sang in time with the movie.
Sam smiled, and swayed in time with Five. “This movie was just as much for Five as it is for Sara. We’re not turning it off,” he said.
Paula smiled, pulling Sara closer. Even in the midst of an apocalypse as fugitives, there was something incredibly normal about singing along to a Disney movie with the people you love. Maybe Maxine had been right: this cozy family and a life with “no worries” were all they needed. They didn’t need to risk a dangerous outdoor adventure to make it special. Paula was about to share this when she noticed Maxine watching the TV, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.
Paula instantly felt terrible- she hadn’t noticed amid the dimly lit room and her preoccupation the baby in her arms. “Maxie!” Paula said. “What’s wrong?”
Five stopped singing abruptly, and everyone turned to Maxine. Between quiet sobs, Maxine pointed at the screen where a fully grown Simba, along with Pumba and Timon, walked across a log. “It’s—Sara’s going to grow up thinking all this is imaginary because she’s only ever seen it on a screen.”
Five nodded, bemused. “I mean, yeah, I hope at some point she realizes that singing warthogs are imaginary. I think that’s ok, Maxine.”
“No, no, not the warthog. I mean the rest of it-the log, the moon, the bugs, just being outside. All of those are going to seem just as fantastical as talking animals because she’s never experienced them. We can’t keep her cooped up like this.”
“So does this mean…” Sam asked like was trying to follow. But it didn’t take much context since Paula, Sam, and Maxine had been having the same discussion for weeks. “You want to give Paula’s plan a try? Take her out of Noah Base for an hour on her birthday?”
“I think we have to,” Maxine said, drying her eyes. “She shouldn’t be underground forever.”
Five smiled reassuringly, and turned off the TV. “She won’t. Hakuna Matata, Maxine. It’s going to be ok.”
“I promise you,” Paula said. “We will keep our daughter safe.”
“Runner Five, is your team assembled and ready?” Janine asked over coms.
Five adjusted their headset, and handed one to Sam, and two to Paula. Paula put on her own headset and slipped the other over Maxine’s ears since she had her hands full with Sara.
“Yes, Team Birthday Girl is ready to go,” Runner Five said, leading the group into the lift to the surface. Paula pressed the “up” button, and then playfully tapped Sara’s nose too.
“Runners Three and Four, sit rep,” Janine said crisply.
“Jody here! Just finished my second run of the perimeter. Not a zom or a human in sight.”
“What am I, chopped liver?” Peter asked in mock anger.
“Alright, I haven’t seen anyone but Runner 3,” Jody said, eye roll evident even over the comms.
Inside the lift, Maxie bounced Sara rapidly, causing Sara to squirm uncomfortably in her arms. Paula blew her a kiss, causing Sara to giggle. Sara reached her arms out, and Paula took her, bouncing her at a more sedate pace.
“She can’t do that outside,” Maxine said nervously. “What if we needed to be quiet while hiding from a zombie and she can’t stop laughing?”
“No matter how loud Sara is, I can be louder,” Five reminded her. Reaching into their backpack, Five pulled out a small device the size of a cellphone. “Or at least my noisemaker can be, anyway.”
Sam nodded. “Jody and Peter will keep any zombies away, but in case one slips past, Runner Five is sticking right by us. They’re great at distracting zombies. “
Runner Five gave Maxine a cheery salute. “I’ve been doing this a long time, ma’am,” Five said, making their voice deeper for effect, “I promise you, I’m good at my job.” Maxine nodded, releasing a bit of tension from her shoulders.
“Runner Four, zombies approaching from your 10’ o clock. Approximately 100 meters,” Janine said quickly.
“And see, we have Janine watching out for us all over comms!” Paula said. “Look how she’s keeping Jody safe right now!”
“Those zombies could be 100 meters from my child… that’s much too close,” Maxine said, panic creeping back into her voice. “Zombies have never been that close to Sara except for…”
“The day she was born,” Five and Sam murmured in unison, shuddering at the memory.
Meanwhile, Peter’s voice came through the comms, sharp and unusually serious. “I’m circling back to your position, Jody. How can I help?”
”No need, I’ve got it,” Jody said, almost lazily. Two sharp twangs came over comms. “Headshots. Zoms eliminated.”
“Excellent work, Runner 4.” Janine said. “Your efficiency with the bow and arrow is impressive.”
The lift doors opened to the surface level. Maxine immediately pressed the button to close them again.
“What are you doing?” Sam asked. “If anything, that should be more reassuring. Jody is fine.”
“Yeah,” Five agreed, “It takes a lot to impress Janine. We’re in good hands.”
Maxine looked as if she might be sick. “Last year, on the day my daughter was born, she was immediately taken by a zombie. This is the first year I can give her a zom-free birthday – safe, right here in Noah Base.”
Sam and Five exchanged looks, seemingly ready to argue further. The situation this year were much different than the last, after all. But Paula hit the button to go down. “Ok,” Paula said in a soothing voice. “We don’t have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”
Maxine took a deep breath, and turned to Paula, surprised. “But you were looking forward to this and I… I thought you’d argue more.”
“We’ve argued enough,” Paula replied gently. “I can see how much distress this is causing you. Let’s just head to the kitchen instead—maybe we can make something that resembles a cake.”
Sara cooed in her mother’s arms, causing everyone to smile.
“Runner Five?” Janine called in confusion. “Are you in position, I don’t see you on the cam outside Noah Base?”
“Oops,” Maxine said, and everyone laughed.
“I”ll handle telling Janine, you guys get a head start on the cake,” Sam said as the elevator stopped on the underground level of the base.
Later that evening, the Noah Base crew relaxed together in the rec room, digesting the remnants of Sara's birthday cake. Five and Jody sat on the floor, demonstrating how to use the crayons they’d given Sara as a present. Jody drew a cartoonish cat, while Five traced a blue circle so hard that they almost ripped a hole in to the paper. “I think we should start with showing her the basics, like this,” Five suggested.
Jody shook her head, pointing at her sketch of an orange cat with violet whiskers, “Or maybe she’ll be more interested in the bright colors!”
“Or,” Sam began, but quickly grabbed Sara’s little fist as she attempted to put the green crayon in her mouth. “She’ll continue to treat the crayons as food. At least you guys got the non-toxic ones?”
After prying the green crayon away, Sara promptly shoved the yellow crayon straight into her mouth. Five gathered the crayons and helped Sam stow the rest away. “Well,” Five said with a soft laugh, “it might take her a few tries to get the hang of this.”
“I think I over-reacted earlier,” Maxine said from the couch. Paula turned back from watching Sara, brow furrowed.
“For the last time, I’m not mad! Sara’s one; she won’t even remember this birthday anyway,” Paula said.
Maxine shook her head. “No, I mean…. I think maybe it would be ok. Maybe we could bring her outside. “
Paula’s eyes lit up, “As in, now?”
Maxine smiled playfully. “Well, it’s still technically her birthday, right?”
It was late evening and the sun had long since dipped below the horizon. Sam pointed to the large moon that softly illuminated the foliage around them. “Look! Sara’s got a full moon for her birthday.”
“The full moon was two nights ago, Mr. Yao,” Janine corrected, as if she couldn’t help herself. “Above you is a wanning gibbous. “
Sam shrugged, squinting into the distance past the trees. “Well, still. It’s pretty bright. I think I can almost make out Peter and Jody!”
Paula chuckled as she and Maxine spread a picnic blanket under a pair of tall trees, carefully avoiding the tree roots. She placed Sara down with a few toys on the blanket. “I’d be surprised if you could, Sam. Aren’t they almost a mile out? There’s not that much visibility.”
Five ran over to where Sam was pointing, and began to run a tight loop around Sara’s location. “That’s a tree, Sam.” Five said, smiling brightly. “Jody’s west and Peter’s east of that position, way farther than any of us can see.
Sara crawled to the edge of the blanket, toys forgotten. As soon had her tiny hands touched the ground, she began to nibble on the dirt.
“No Sara!” Paula exclaimed, quickly knocking Sara’s fist away from her mouth. “That isn’t hygienic—nature is yucky.” Sara quickly lost interest in the dirt, and tried to stand up by a tree instead. She had already taken her first steps in Noah Base about a week ago, but still preferred steadying herself on table and people’s knees if possible. Now, she stood unsupported, until she became fascinated with a tree root and began scraping at the rough bark. Paula let her explore for a moment before gently intervening when Sara tried to taste the tree bark too.
Eventually, Sam took a turn chasing after Sara, while Paula and Maxine watched quietly from the blanket. Paula finally murmured, “So that… that’s it?”
Maxine looked her wife, puzzled. “What were you expecting?”
Paula sighed softly. “I don’t know—we argued for so long, I guess I was expecting something profound. That it would change her life somehow.”
Over their headsets, Five laughed—a breathier, light sound as they continued their perimeter sweep. “She’s a baby, Paula. She isn’t going to write you a poem about seeing the moon for the first time in months.”
Maxine smiled. “Yeah, Paula, I think this is it now. This is the moment we were waiting for. We've spent so much of our lives avoiding zombies or Van Ark, or Sigrid. One danger-free night is rather remarkable.”
Paula’s voice softened as she nodded slowly. “Yeah. This is it—and it’s good.”
They watched their daughter and Sam play amidst the trees. Sam lifted her high on his shoulders and Sara grabbed a leaf from an overhead branch. As soon as he set her back down, Sara crawled over to Paula and handed her the leaf.
“Thank you, Sara,” Paula said. Finally, Sara crawled into Maxine’s lap and fell asleep. Then, Maxine and Paula gently carried their sleeping child back towards Noah Base. Sam and the three runners filed into the lift, but Maxine hesitated a moment, a few steps from the threshold.
“Hold the door,” Paula murmured to Jody, and joined her wife and daughter.
“Thank you, Paula,” Maxine whispered so not to wake Sara. “I’m glad we did this. But do you think we’ll have to wait until her next birthday to bring her outside again?”
Paula gazed up at the bright moon, and then brushed a stray lock of hair out of Sara’s face. “I don’t know,” she said seriously. “I hope we’ll all be back safely in Abel soon and she can play outside as much as she wants. But knowing the current state of the world, that’s not guaranteed.”
“But for now,” Maxine said, stepping back into the lift. “I’m glad we got this one night together.”
Paula nodded, and followed her in. She kissed her wife and the top of Sara’s head. “May you live to be 120,” she whispered into her daughter’s hair as the doors closed safely behind them. “Happy birthday, my love.”