Who:Rodeo and Zhenya Whittaker Where: Dog Park What: Zhenya goes to find what Rodeo's present for her is. When: A bit after this
The zombie apocalypse has its downsides. You can't get fresh fruit. You can't eat steak. Sour cream is a pleasant memory and nothing more. Walks have become an activity fraught with danger. You never know about your other relatives, the ones who live whole countries away--is Zhenya's father still alive? It's not a thing she likes to think about. Maybe the plague didn't spread far in Russia.
But it has its not-as-bad sides. Like free-for-all on jewellery; Zhenya loves that. She's wearing some today, a short chain with a tiny white-gold gun that hangs right at her collarbones. A pair of dangling silver wolf earrings, both of her wedding rings, and about fifteen bracelets complete it out, though she's thinking if she's in the vicinity of her family's tent, she might grab another ring or two. It feels strange to not have more than one on.
It also has put her here in the Dog Park. Zhenya likes it here. She has countless people to look after here, a job to do. A job that never ends. And it's not as though Rodeo is in imminent danger of no longer needing a little extra dose of mommying. (And it's not as though Zhenya minds doing it.)
But he also brings her presents sometimes. As do her husband and others. Yes, Zhenya likes it very much here.
When she spots Rodeo's bright hair, she's on him in seconds, a bright smile on her face. "Volchonok! What have you got for Mama Volka?"