The next morning began with me waking up and staring at the wooden ceiling of my room, contemplating today's work.
Maggie was still asleep, curling next to me.
I slowly threw my legs to my side of the bed and gently got up, quickly threw on my clothes, then stepped out of the room.
It was still early, so not many are awake at this time.
I walked toward the kitchen, intending to have a light breakfast before we start the work on the cellar, and while we're at it, build a decent laboratory for Dr. Jenner.
I promised the man I'd build him a decent one, and there's no way in hell am i going to default on that promise.
Reaching the kitchen, I opened the door, and sure enough, it was only the ladies, Carol and Jenny, who were present, preparing breakfast for everyone.
"Morning, you two," I greeted them, then reached out for the hot coffee pitcher on the counter.
"Good morning, Zeph," Carol greeted me back with a gentle smile.
"Good morning," Jenny greeted from where she stood, flipping strips of bacon on a hot skillet.
"Would you like some?" she asked.
"A long workday's ahead of us, I gotta stock up on some fuel," I said as I poured myself a big cup of coffee.
"Going somewhere?" Carol asked as she grabbed a plate and started filling it.
"No," I replied after taking a sip from my mug. "We're starting on the cellar project."
"Oh, that."
"Yeah," I said.
"Here you go," Carol said, placing the now-filled plate in front of me.
"Thanks, that looks lovely."
"Enjoy," she replied with a smile.
A couple of minutes later, I had already scarfed down everything that was on the plate and finished my first cup of coffee.
I refilled my mug and slowly stood up with said mug in my hand.
"Thanks for the food. I gotta go now, see you ladies later."
I then stepped out of the kitchen and walked toward the porch.
Standing out on the porch, the morning air hit me right in the face, clearing out the last bits of sleep that were clinging to my brain.
The sky was still that pale grayish-blue color, just before the sun really starts to climb over the trees and make everyone miserable with the heat.
I took a long, slow sip from the refilled mug, feeling the hot liquid settle in my stomach, giving me that much-needed jolt of energy.
We had a massive day ahead of us, and if we didn't get a handle on it right now, the whole schedule would fall apart before noon.
I didn't want people wandering around aimlessly.
I sat down on a porch chair, enjoying my coffee and formulating everyone's roles in my head.
Soon, the sky began to brighten up more.
I didn't waste any time, so I started calling out to the guys as they began filtering out of the house.
I gathered them up for a quick meeting before we threw ourselves into the meat of the work.
It didn't take long for everyone to shuffle over, looking tired but ready enough, their boots thudding against the wooden floorboards of the porch as they found a spot to lean or stand.
I let them settle in for a second, taking another sip of coffee while I looked over the faces of the people who were making this place actually function.
Then I turned my attention straight to Jacqui, who was leaning against the porch railing near the edge of the steps.
"Jacqui," I said, catching her attention.
"We need to get moving on the next phase after the cellar. I need you to start making plans for Jenner's laboratory. Make it a priority and treat it the same as you did for the cellar project a while ago. We need to know exactly how much space he's going to need and how to lay it out so he can actually work without tripping over his own feet."
As I spoke, my mind drifted back for a second, cutting back to a flashback of that previous community meeting we held in the dining room some days ago.
We'd been crowded around the table in the now temporary lab, trying to figure out how to dig a massive underground storage unit without the whole thing collapsing on our heads.
"Anyone here know a damn thing about architecture?" I'd asked, despite knowing already, only to be met with a room full of blank stares.
Then Jacqui raised her hand, drawing everyone's attention to her, mine included.
She cleared her throat and said, "I used to work in the city's zoning department in Atlanta. I know building codes and structural foundations."
I feigned a look of relief, then I immediately left the entire planning phase for the root cellar entirely to her, trusting her judgment to get it done right.
Cutting back to the present on the porch, Jacqui just looked at me for a moment, then gave me a solid, reassuring nod.
"I'll get right on it," she said, adjusting her grip on a small notepad she always carried. "I'll talk to Jenner and see what his bare minimum requirements are, then sketch out something functional that we can build with the resources we have later."
I nodded back, appreciating how she didn't complain or make a fuss; she just accepted the task and immediately got her mind to work on the logistics.
With that settled, I shifted my gaze across the porch over toward where Jim was standing by the corner post, looking as quiet and steady as always.
"Jim," I called out, turning the focus to him. "We're going to need the earthmovers moving today, and we need it running perfectly without any breakdowns. I need you to go down to the equipment area and do a quick maintenance, then top them off completely with fuel. We can't afford to have a hydraulic line blow or a tank run dry right when we're in the middle of work."
Jim didn't say a single word back.
He just gave me that short, familiar nod of his that let me know the job was already as good as done.
He adjusted his cap, turned on his heel, and started walking off the porch, heading straight down the dirt path toward the workshop to get his task done before the main work crew even arrived at the site.
Watching him go, I knew the machines would be primed and roaring by the time we needed them.
Then I turned my attention back to the rest of the guys who were still waiting around the porch. Rick, Daryl, Merle, Morales, and Morgan were all standing there, some looking eager to get started and others just looking grumpy from the early hour.
I looked them over one by one, making sure I had their full attention.
"Alright, listen up," I said, directing my voice to the group. "You lot need to get inside the kitchen right now and get some food in your bellies. Carol and Jenny will take care of you on that front, because once you're done, we're heading out, and there is a massive day of hard labor waiting for every single one of us. No slacking off today."
Daryl just grunted, stretching his arms out, while Merle muttered something under his breath about "soldier boy giving orders," but despite the grumbling, they all started moving toward the front door.
Rick gave me a quick nod as he passed by, and Morales and Morgan followed him inside the house, the smell of frying bacon wafting out through the open door as they entered, leaving just a few of us left on the wood deck.
Finally, I turned to Glenn, who was leaning against the side wall, waiting for his specific orders.
I waved him over, indicating for him to step closer.
"Glenn," I said, keeping my voice level. "I want you to come with me. We need to head out to the designated field and start marking the edges of the future cellar. We need to stake it out properly and run the string lines so everyone knows exactly where to drop the bulldozer blades when Jim finishes with them. If we don't mark the boundaries perfectly, the whole thing is gonna to be crooked."
Glenn nodded quickly before he went to the barn to get the wooden stakes and strings we'll need, along with a couple of mallets.
I took one last long gulp of my coffee, draining the mug to the dregs, then set the empty cup down on a nearby little tea table with a solid click.
With all the main assignments handed out and the tasks distributed, that was it.
"Meeting's over."
I waved them off and told them to get moving.
The porch cleared out in a matter of seconds as everyone went back to their respective jobs, leaving the house behind and scattering across the property to get the day started before the morning sun could burn off the early mist.
(To be continued...)