Bruno frowned. "From now on, if I'm not here, don't just open the door for strangers." Whitney quickly explained, "I really hesitated, I swear. But it was so dark in the hall with the lights out. I get scared walking there at night myself, let alone a little kid. I couldn't just leave him standing there alone." Seeing Bruno still frowning, she tried to calm him. "See? Nothing happened." Bruno was quiet for a moment, then warned, "Just don't do it again." His eyes drifted to the clip in her hair. "That's kinda childish. Doesn't really suit you." Whitney, her mouth dry from the pretzel sticks, took a sip of water and grinned. "So ... you think I look silly wearing it?" She pulled the lollipop-shaped clip out of her hair and held it up. "But it's a kid's gift, from the heart." She waved it in front of him. "Joe said this is for his very best friend. That's how he's showing me he thinks of me that way." Bruno stayed quiet for a bit before saying softly, "Guess it's not about the gift; it's the thought that counts. Keep it safe." He added again, "But don't go opening the door for him so easily next time." Whitney laughed and clipped it back into her hair. "Okay, got it!" Then she teased, pretending to scold him. "Yeah, I know it looks silly, but you're not allowed to laugh!" She touched the clip again. "He gave it to me so seriously, so I'll wear it for a few days. That way, he knows I value it." Bruno's eyes softened. "Alright."After breakfast, they sat chatting a bit before Bruno got up, ready to head out for supplies. Whitney jumped to her feet, wanting to go with him. When Bruno started to object, she cut him off. "Nope! Don't make me stay behind. I'm not that fragile. Even if the fog is toxic, it's not deadly. You've been out in it plenty—aren't you fine?" Bruno hesitated. Whitney pressed on. "No excuses! Two people can carry way more than one." He thought for a moment, then nodded. Partly because Andrea and Abbott's family were really playing dirty—they were using a proper excavator while everyone else dug by hand. Thankfully, their digging spot wasn't great, and there were still plenty of buried goods. Otherwise, he and Whitney would've gotten nothing. Bruno pulled out a few precious masks and handed them to Whitney. She waved them off. "Why so many? And anyway, this fog isn't some virus—masks probably won't help." Bruno shrugged. "Better safe than sorry. Wear one." Whitney handed two back. "Then you wear them too." "I won't. These are for you." Whitney hated how he always put himself last. "I'll only wear one if you do too!" Bruno's face stayed serious. "If you don't, I'm not taking you with me." Whitney frowned, staying quiet. She knew he meant it. If he really decided not to let her go, she wouldn't be able to change his mind.They got ready, but just as they were about to leave, Bruno stopped. "Wait. What about the mom and her son?" Whitney replied, "Lisa's hurt. She can't scavenge today." Bruno wasn't thinking about taking Lisa out—he was worried about leaving the place empty. Expressionless, he said, "If she can't work, she can at least stand watch." Whitney frowned. "She looked really bad yesterday. Maybe she should just stay in bed." "No," Bruno said. "If she locks us out or takes supplies while we're gone, we're screwed." Whitney thought for a moment. "Alright then." Bruno glanced at the window. "It's late, and they're still not up?" They were down to two meals a day to save food, so after breakfast, it was almost noon. Whitney said, "Maybe her wound got infected, and she's running a fever. I'll check." Bruno followed. "I'll come with you." He thought, If she really can't get out of bed, we'll have to take her son as leverage. No way are we leaving her alone. But when they got downstairs, the basement was empty. Whitney froze. "What's going on?" The door to their room was wide open. Inside, everything was gone. The bedding was folded neatly, as if no one had stayed there. Bruno checked room after room. No sign of the mom or her son anywhere. His gut tightened. For a moment, he thought maybe they'd run off with supplies. But after a quick check, nothing was missing.