I sat up and asked what was wrong. Rose said that nothing was wrong; she wanted to know what my plans were about going to Haven. I told her that as soon as Michael was back to full health we would be back on the road. By bus I figured we were less than a half day’s drive away. She sighed and said that she had already spoken with Renee. They both agreed that we should abandon the idea of Haven and stay on the farm. That it had everything we needed to survive. If I decided to leave the compound I would be doing it without them. I told her that I would talk it over with Michael when he was in better health and if he wanted to stay as well we would. But if he wanted to head to Haven then we would make the journey without them. She looked at me without saying a word for some time. Finally she asked why I wanted to continue on.

I stood up from the sofa and began to pace. I stopped and explained that everyone’s death would not be in vain. The ones who died on the journey to Haven all died so we would find a new life there. If we were to stay at the farm, they would have died for a lost cause.

Rose’s rebuttal was that she had found her Haven in the last week she personally--not counting anyone else--had come close to dying more times then she could count and did not want to put her life on the line anymore. Before I could say anything Rose got up and walked away, headed for the staircase.

I walked into Mike’s room to find him fast asleep. He looked peaceful. I flashed back to when he was a little boy with me doing everything in my power to protect him from any harm. Now, he lay before me seriously wounded and it was my fault. It was my idea to drag my family from California to find Haven, which had cost the lives of most of my family. Then I thought about what Rose had said to me about staying at the farm. I understood at that moment what she was trying to tell me and realized I had no desire to further endanger my family. I found that I was perhaps willing to call the compound our new home.

To be continued . . .