***
Todd looked up from the microscope and then rolled his chair over to his computer, where he struck the keys furiously, adding to the notes already in the system. “Where are we with the Wyoming deliveries?”
“They’re loaded up and ready to go, Professor.”
A small plaque rested outside the door to his lab that read Stanford Biochemistry. Most of the equipment was still being dusted off, but it only took Todd and a team of about thirty other scientists a few weeks to get it back up and running. The place was almost as good as new.
Todd leaned back in his chair, scratching his head, looking over the samples he had just packaged. Since he was put in charge of the mass production and distribution of the soil treatment, he wasn’t going to get anything wrong. The country’s recovery depended on it. “Hey, guys, we need to make sure we’re checking off the packages once they’re gone.”
“I’m sure everyone is double-checking everything,” Emma said, sneaking up behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He smiled, kissed her hand, then turned to hug her.
“I didn’t realize you were stopping by today.”
“We received a package,” Emma said, extending a brown box. Todd took it and flipped it over in his hands. The name on the return address said Alex Grives. “I thought you should be the one to open it.”
Todd peeled the paper slowly until the cover of the book Alex had shipped to him was exposed. He smiled. “Hemingway.” It was the same book Todd had gone to drop off the night Alex stole the soil data. He opened the cover, and inside on the first page was a handwritten note:
Todd and Emma,
There are no words to express how much I am still indebted to you or how much the country is indebted to you, so I’ll simply say thank you. There is no equal to the pain I caused you or to the contributions you have given to the rest of us. You saved the country. If you ever find your way to Kansas, please, stop by. It would be an honor to see you again, and an even greater one to meet the newest addition to your family.
With much respect,
Alex Grives
Emma placed both hands over her stomach, and Todd placed one of his over both of hers. She had a tear in her eye, and he wiped it away from her cheek before it rolled down her face.
“We get to start over,” Emma said.
“Yes,” Todd answered. “We all do.”