All the Empty Houses | Alexander Fedderly
Christopher James, an ex-soldier, spends several years preparing for the end of the world. After the collapse of civilization, he survives in his backyard bunker, determined to make it on his own. He succeeds initially, but faces a series of obstacles and setbacks over the course of a year. Ultimately he realizes he won't be able to survive on his own and he travels down the road to a colony of survivors he's discovered. With great reluctance, he then spends a summer integrating into the colony's population, learning their ways and making friends with the residents. He becomes a surrogate father-figure to a young boy. In the end, he is faced with a choice to risk his life to save the child's.