The Before Times

Avira flipped through the photo album. Her mother was drinking tea and looking out the window on the other side of the table.

"Snow's really coming down," Mrs. Dodds murmured, taking another sip. "I hope Robert's okay up there in Toledo."

"I'm sure he's fine, Mom. You said you'd help me."

"None of us really like to relive it, Pumpkin."

"I know, but I need tis to graduate. Please?"

"Okay," with some resignation.

Mrs. Dodds scooted away from the window and joined her daughter at the table. The photo album was open to pictures of her late grandfather. At the sight of him, Mrs. Dodds' face visibly became twisted with pain.

"Who is he?" she said, tapping on the picture that had caused her mother such a reaction.

"That's Grandpa Lou. He died the same year you were born. That's why your middle name is Louise."

"Sheesh. What happened?"

Mrs. Dodds just looked at the snow for awhile. Then, a hoarse whisper. "Cancer."

"Damn. I mean--"

"It's fine. I was pregnant with you and still had Robby to take care of, so I couldn't fall apart."

"I understand."

There were a long streatch of selfies after that picture. Avira chuckled. "You were trying to be a model or something?"

"Instagram was big back in the day. We all had it and were doing it. I just printed them for my senior project."

"So, you just skipped school and everything?"

"No, that was the first quarantine."

"You were pregnant?"

"Yeah, I found out in October, the country shut down around March, and I had to have you at home in May. Your granny did an emergency C-section on me. I don't really know how either of us are alive."

"So, how long did the quarantines last?"

"On and off for a few years I guess. There was always something overshadowing it, but then all the commercials would say that we were still to be at home because there was still a pandemic. I didn't care. I had to do my finals a week after you were born. I was supposed to go to college after that, but I decided it was just better to not."

"Oh."

Avira flipped silently. Her mom drank tea. The faucet behind them dripped. The clock in the hallway ticked and ticked and ticked...

"Did you know anyone that died?"

"This girl that was a bitch in my class. My favorite YouTuber. Some celebrities died from it. A friend I had made in Germany. That's about it. The deaths were honestly secondary. We all just wanted to go back out."

"So, no one broke quarantine?"

Mrs. Dodds laughed. "Your aunt Cara was so pissed that we were out of school that she vowed to never wear a mask. She ended up getting into a fight and some girl broke her jaw over it. She always wore a mask after that."

"So, it's just like now?"

"Yeah. People were a bit more annoying, but it's different now. They're just now starting to relax about the mask thing but your generation is so used to it that it probably feels weird going outside without them. Everyone just kinda adapted. Even once the virus stopped, the country decided that we should still practice safety through masks and whatnot. People who protested were fined or jailed and that was that."

Just then, the front door opened. Mr. Dodds came in with the boys and Nikki, carrying three large pizzas.

"Is anyone in here hungry?" he proclaimed happily.

He noticed the album on the table and his face fell. "Oh geez, not this again. Are you telling her the pubes story?"

Avira choked on her gum. "What?"

"We were young and stupid," Mrs. Dodds said, shooting her husband a look.

"It burned so bad. And your adorable brother knocks on the door and asks if everything's okay and meanwhile my junk is burning because I decided to 'try something sexy' so I'm trying to stay calm and it was a mess. Poison Control was laughing, your mother was laughing, my mom was laughing. It sucked."

"God, you're weird."

"You be trapped in a house with nothing but your family for six months. You'll be weird too."