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“Carl, would you stick around for a minute, please?” Michonne smiled at him as Carl stopped walking out of the classroom and let his backpack land in the open seat closest to him before sitting down next to it. Michonne waved goodbye to the exiting students, then walked around her desk and sat on top of it.“I wanted to talk to you about your short story, the one you submitted last week.” Michonne watched as he started to shift uncomfortably.“Was there something wrong with it?” He couldn't help but be a bit nervous, this was one of the only one on one conversations he'd had with her since he started attending his new school. “No, no, the opposite. It was beautiful.” She paused to smile and barely caught him basking in the compliment before his face changed.He’d been attending Richardson Secondary for a month, and it had been a rocky start. He was bright, which showed in the work he put effort into, but he was a bit shy and tended to lash out when challenged by his teachers. Michonne was surprised when she overheard his gym teacher say that he’d snapped at him when he was told he couldn’t sit out of class that day. She hadn’t experienced any hiccups when interacting with him, and she knew what it was like to be the new person in town.“I wondered if you’d heard about the writing competition that’s coming up,” she leaned back to grab a sheet of paper and held it out for him, “There are two parts, so we can submit your short story, but then there’s also a recitation option where we’d partner you with one of the older kids in the drama club, and they would read it aloud.”“Wait. You wanna submit my story for a competition?” Carl asked, sitting up straight.“Yes. I mean, on your behalf. The school always submits for the state competitions.” She watched him, trying to gauge his interest, “There’s a $2,000 prize, and it comes with a scholarship for a creative writing class.”“I don’t know.” Carl stood and put his backpack over his shoulder, “I’m sure there are better stories to submit. If you’re doing this because I’m new or whatever –“ “I picked your story.” Michonne slid off the desk and interrupted him as she held up the copy she had. When she saw him inching closer to declining the offer, she improvised, “We have a little time. Can you do me a favor and just think about it?”“If I say yes, what happens?”“If you say yes,” her smile brightened at the idea that he was considering it, “Then we do a few editing sessions to get it submission ready, and then we do some run-throughs with Beth and go from there.“Who’s Beth?”“Oh, sorry. She would be the drama student; she’d already accepted the offer to read the story that’s chosen.”“Ok.” Carl nodded to himself and started to walk toward the classroom door, “I should be getting to my next class.”“Hey, Carl?” Michonne called out, and he turned to look at her, “Whatever you decide, it’s a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it with me.” He gave her a tight smile and walked from the room quickly. “You have a minute?” Michonne leaned into the office after knocking on the door and waited. Glenn looked up from his desk and waved her in.“What’s up?”“I wondered if you had any information on Carl Grimes.” She sat down in the chair facing his desk, still holding the story she’d held up for Carl a few minutes ago.“Information?” He asked, intrigued by her question. She wasn’t known to ask for information without having a purpose.“I mean, you’re his guidance counselor. I’m not asking for the code to his locker, just if you’ve had to I dunno, guide him or anything.” Michonne shrugged, realizing that she wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking for and Glenn laughed as he pulled out a file.“Carl Grimes. He’s been with us for a little over a month. Two write-ups. One for refusing to participate in gym glass and one for being found eating lunch outside the cafeteria. Looks like he may be a bit behind in math, but nothing else has been noted.”“You get written up for not wanting to eat in the cafeteria?” Michonne raised her brows.“He’s 13. You think we should let him drive home for his lunch break?”“Not drive home, but if the kid needs some fresh air, why can’t he step outside?”“What’s this about Michonne?”“I don’t know, really. He wrote this story, and it’s good, it’s really good. But I get the feeling, I don’t know it’s far off, do you get what I’m saying?“Not at all,” Glenn said as she shook his head and started to laugh. He watched and could tell she was still thinking, “Is he giving you any problems?”“No, of course not. He’s a quiet kid, and he keeps to himself. I offered him the State Writing Competition spot, but he seemed hesitant to take it.”“Maybe he doesn’t like writing.” Glenn shrugged, “Not everyone loves to spin a yarn the way you do.”“I don’t think that’s it.” Michonne said to herself as she stood, “You’ll let me know, I mean if there’s anything to know or anything that happens?”“You coming for my job?” He teases, and Michonne smiles.“I could never scold a kid for eating lunch on a field the way you do Glenn, of course not.”“Ha. Ha.” Carl opened his front door and called out, “I’m home.” He kicked his shoes off and let his backpack fall to the floor before walking into the living room to find his grandmother and Judith seated on the couch.“Hi Sweetheart, how was school?”“It was fine,” Carl answered, smiling as Judith wrapped her hand around his finger, greeting him in her own special way.“You hungry?”“I’ll just grab a banana.” Carl pulled his finger from Judith’s grip and started to walk toward the kitchen.“Alright, well, your dad will be home in a couple of hours.”He pulled a banana off the kitchen counter and walked toward the stairs, pausing as he saw his backpack on the floor. He let his eyes linger for a few more seconds before he picked it up and climbed the stairs to his room quickly. Once inside his room, he fell onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling and letting out a few loud exhales before he sat back up and unzipped his backpack.He held the details of the short story competition in his hand and let his eyes scan the page. When Ms. Hawthorne had assigned the short story weeks ago, he had no idea what he was supposed to write. He had only been at the school for a week and every assignment he’d received seemed more complicated than what he was used to.He had thought about blowing off the assignment altogether, but one of the kids in his class had complained that he didn’t have any stories to tell, and she’d paused in handing out their assignment and walked back to the front of the class. He felt thrown off as she addressed the class and said, “Someone give me an emotion.” Within seconds, someone had said “Happy,” and she tapped her chin as she started to walk between their chairs.She told them a story about how her son Andre had spent weeks learning his letters because he wanted to be able to write his name. She mimicked his face as she held the pencil the same way he did and even walked to the board at the front of the class and showed the different ways he made his attempts. Carl recalled sitting forward and smiling as he heard his classmates chuckle around him when she showed the temper tantrum that he had when he still wasn’t getting it right. He watched as her eyes watered when she closed out the story by letting them know that she’d gotten a call in the middle of the day from the daycare because Andre had insisted they let her know that he did it, and she knew exactly what they meant. At the end of the story, she pointed to a small sheet of paper that was hanging behind her desk, and they all made out the tiny handwriting showing the first time he’d written his name.She asked for another emotion, and now the class was more engaged, the words “excited” and “afraid” came at the same time. He thought she’d pick one, but she didn’t. She started walking around the classroom again and told them the story about moving to Richardson. He found out she’d been recruited by the principal but had only worked with younger children, so the idea of working with middle school and high school-age children was a bit daunting. One of his classmates asked, “You were afraid of us?” and she nodded quickly, making them laugh again with her honesty. She talked about the nightmares she’d had about wearing her pajamas to school and forgetting to make her lesson plans. She let them know that on her first day, the fear went away because she realized they weren’t so scary, and she’d yet to wear her pajamas to school.She walked back to the board and asked them to shout out emotions. She wrote them as quickly as they yelled at them, and after a few minutes, the board was full. The assignment was simple: tell her a story, any story, but she wanted to feel something when she read it. She suggested that the class jot down or take a photo of the words on the board and use it to find motivation.They had a week to write their story. Carl had planned on waiting until the last minute, but when he got home that day after school and came up to his room, he’d sat down at his desk and started writing. Sure, it was a story, but it was more of a memory than anything else. A memory that felt like a million years ago now.He told himself that he was only writing it because he had to because the assignment was a big part of his grade, and he didn’t have a choice, but the third time he rewrote the second paragraph, he had to admit to himself that it was bigger than that. He wanted this memory. He’d almost decided not to turn it in; it felt too personal, and he hadn’t intended that, but he figured in a class of 22 students, she’d skim it and that would be the end of it.He knew she’d meant it when she said it was good, in the short period he’d known her, it was obvious she wasn’t the kind of adult who just said anything to kids. Sometimes in class, it felt like she was listening more than she was talking, and it was obvious the kids in his class respected her. He just hadn’t considered that once he wrote the story, she’d know the story. That felt crazy to think about now, but it was a story he’d never shared with anyone, and now it was like she knew something about him that nobody else knew.He folded the competition guidelines into a paper plane as he imagined what it would be like to hear the story told by someone else, up on a stage, in front of a crowd of people. He flicked his wrist, and the plane lingered for a few seconds before it landed on his desk. he felt tired as he looked at it, recalling late summer evenings and slow sunsets. A knock on the door woke Carl and he sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes, “Yeah…” After a few seconds, the door cracked and he looked over to see a blurry image of his father.“Get up, sleepy head. It's time for dinner.” He pushed the door open and walked out of the room as Carl woke up slowly. When he came downstairs, Rick was slipping Judith into her highchair, “Can you keep an eye on Jude while I get things settled with dinner?”“Grandma already left?” Carl asked as he sat down, scooting Judith’s chair closer to him.“Yeah, she had to get to her bridge game. She just ran out a few minutes ago. Luckily, she got this started. I just need to add the pasta, and we should be good.” Rick stirred the contents of the pot and then looked at the box of pasta on the counter, “Damn, I didn’t ask her how much pasta.” He lifted the box and started reading before shrugging and pouring half the box in, “How was your day?”“It was ok.” Carl watched as Judith slid one of her goldfish across the tray in front of her.“Ok? Can I get more than ok?”“Well, actually, my English teacher, Ms. Hawthorne she – ““Damnit!” Rick interrupted as the pot fell off the stove, having gotten caught on his shirt when he turned, “Carl, grab those paper towels – be careful, it’s hot.” Carl carefully handed his father the roll of paper towels and took the pan from him, placing it on the burner where it had rested previously, “Can you take Judith into the living room while I clean this up? You don’t mind if I order Chinese again, do you?”“No, that’s fine.” Carl lifted Judith from her high chair and rested her on his hip.“Wait, what were you saying about your English class and Ms. Langhorne?”“Hawthorne, and it’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Carl easily dismissed the topic and walked into the living room as Rick cleaned the mess. “Ms. Hawthorne?” Carl tapped on her classroom door and stood still as Michonne looked over and smiled at the sight of him.“Carl, please come in.”Carl walked in, clearly nervous, and surprised that Michonne wasn’t alone. His school principal was sitting at one of the desks his classmates generally occupied. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I can come back.”“No, please come in. I have a meeting I’m already running late for. We’ll talk later Michonne?” She asked as she stood and Michonne nodded.“I’ll set up time, Mrs. Monroe.”Deanna smiled at Carl and then left the room, leaving Carl standing awkwardly, still wearing his backpack.“What’s up?” Michonne waived him in and leaned against her desk.“Um, I guess I just had a question.”“Sure.”“I take the bus home. I know you mentioned there would be some editing sessions. Are those during the school day, or would they need to be after school?”“That’s not a problem, we can look at your free period,” Michonne recalled her conversation with Glenn the day before, “Or if you’d prefer, we can meet during your lunch. I’d just need to check with Beth so we can make sure she’s available.”“I’m not allowed to miss lunch.”“Whenever we decide to meet, I’ll get it cleared with your guidance counselor and your parents.”“My dad won’t care,” Carl said confidently, and Michonne nodded.“So, does this mean that you’re interested?” Michonne crossed her arms, already smirking.“Yeah, I mean, yes. I think I would like to do it.”“That’s great, Carl. I’m so happy to hear that. Let’s do this. I’m going to ask that you take the next week to reread your story and make any edits you’d like to make. We’ll schedule our first editing session for next week, and we’ll start from wherever you finish up.”“I can do that.” Carl nodded and started to walk out, but paused just before the door.“Was there something else?” Michonne asked and Carl walked back into her classroom, looking at his feet before looking up at her.“What made you pick my story?” Carl’s eyes lingered on hers as she took a breath and considered how she would answer his question.“Well, for starters, it was well written. But, if you recall, the assignment was to write something that made me feel something. What was your story about?”“A time when I felt safe,” Carl answered, and Michonne nodded.“I can’t think of a better thing for people to feel right now.” She watched him and saw the soft smile that he gave as he nodded to himself, “Now, can I ask you a question?” Carl nodded, “Why are you so surprised that I picked your story?”“I don’t know.” He shrugged, and she stayed quiet in case he wanted to continue his thought. When the bell sounded, he adjusted his backpack, “I need to get to class.” She nodded, and he turned and walked quickly toward the door, “Um, bye.” He waved awkwardly and she returned it.“Have a good day, Carl.” “Grimes... Grimes!” Rick looked over as he heard his name called out, finishing up some paperwork that he’d gotten behind on.“Yes, chief?” He asked. He’d been in the new department for about a month and had only had a couple of conversations with his police chief.“Doesn’t your kid go to the same school as Jenkins?”“Yes?” He recalled a conversation he’d had with Jenkins; his daughter was two years older than Carl, but with the middle school and high school being combined, they would still be at the same school.“He left 30 minutes ago for parent-teacher conferences. Your kid doesn’t have those?” He walked into his office, and Rick reached for his phone, opened the calendar, and saw the appointment that was scheduled to start in 15 minutes.“Shit.” He shoved his chair back, grabbed his coat, and shoved his phone in his pocket, making a mental note to call his mom from the car and make sure that she could stay with the kids. Rick adjusted his coat, fixing the top button on his uniform while chastising himself for forgetting about the appointment. He’d only been to the school twice so far, and neither had been ideal. On Carl’s first day, he’d brought Judith, and in the middle of the meeting with his new principal, she’d gotten sick on him. The second time he’d come, he’d had to meet with Carl’s guidance counselor because Carl had decided to have lunch on the football field.He'd pulled up his itinerary in the car and was five minutes late to meet with Carl’s English teacher first. He was racking his brain to think if he’d heard from her since the start of the semester. Carl’s math teacher had gone on at length about the fact that he was behind and that if he wasn’t able to catch up, she would suggest summer school courses to keep him on track. As he approached the last classroom in the hall, he paused to take a breath before rounding the corner and walking into the open door.“I, um –“ Rick paused and stepped back outside the room to look at the number on the door, “I’m looking for a –“ he looked down at his phone, scrolling nervously.“Michonne Hawthorne, at least if you’re Rick Grimes.” She stood and extended her hand.“I am. Rick Grimes, I mean. I’m Rick Grimes.” He shook his head slightly as he heard himself and how silly he sounded. It had been a long time since he’d had a woman disarm him like this, and he wasn’t handling it well. He knew that his palm was sweating as he shook her hand, wishing that he had wiped it on his pants first.“Are we waiting for anyone else, or should we go ahead and get started?”“No, it’s just me, and I’m sorry, by the way. I know I’m running late. I’m trying to do a better job with my calendar.”“That’s ok; we’ll make sure to get you out of here on time for your next meeting.” She pulled a folder from the top of the stack on her desk and opened it, handing him the paper on the top. His eyes scanned the sheet, seeing a rundown of assignments that Carl had completed as well as the grades that he’d received.“He has an A- right now?” Rick asked.“Yes. He’s had a few worksheets and a quiz since he started. His biggest assignment was his short story, which we know went very well. Has he always been a strong storyteller?” She smiled at him and was confused when he didn’t return it.“Um, I’m not sure. I mean, I guess I’m not sure.”“Oh, ok.” Michonne tried to recover, not wanting to make it obvious that she found his response confusing, “Well, it was really strong. He’s been pretty quiet since he joined my class, so it was exciting to see that he could find his voice in writing, and I’m so happy he decided to let us submit his short story. I know Carl didn’t want us to do the editing sessions after school, so I’m fine to work with him during his free period or his lunch hour, whichever he prefers.”“Sorry, I think you may have lost me.” Rick seemed stressed as he looked back down on his sheet, hoping it would magically fill in the blanks for her.“No, I’m sorry, I thought he would have told you.” She pulled out a drawer and pulled out the same information sheet that she’d provided Carl, “Every year, the state puts on a competition for the secondary schools in Georgia. We submit one short story, and that story is also given to one of our most promising theatre students so that they can participate in the competition doing a recitation.”“Wait, you’re saying Carl was one of the stories that was chosen?”“I’m saying that Carl had the only story chosen.”“Oh,” Rick started to nod, recalling the start of a conversation the other night, “Ms. Langhorne.”“Hawthorne.”“No, I know, I’m sorry – the other day he was trying to tell me something and I -,” he looked up and saw her face and stopped, “That’s really exciting.”“I agree.” She smiled, and for a moment, he forgot to be embarrassed that he’d not only been late but was looking completely uninformed about his son’s education, “Mr. Grimes?” Rick refocused.“Yes, I’m sorry, what was that?“I just wanted to make sure you’re ok with us working on his story during his free period or his lunch?”“Yes, as long as it’s fine with everyone here. He got into a bit of trouble a couple of weeks back.”“That’s no problem. I’ve already cleared it with Mr. Rhee so we’re all on the same page. Did you have any questions for me, about Carl’s progress?”“No, it sounds like he’s doing better than I knew.” His voice seemed smaller since he’d arrived, and she felt for him.“He’s still finding his footing here. He may be a bit more focused on just blending in, so it didn’t seem as important to let you know how he was standing out. I can take over the bragging duties for my class. I’ll make sure to keep you in the loop as the rest of the semester rolls out.” She smiled again, and he felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. “I appreciate that.”“Well, we should get you out of here so you’re not late to meet with Carl’s math teacher. I’m sure you’re looking forward to that one.” She joked and stood from her chair, “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Grimes.”“Rick, please.” He stood and extended his hand, this time making sure to wipe it on his pants as inconspicuously as possible. She took it and shook it softly and chuckled as he continued to hold on, only pulling it away when he realized how extended the handshake had been.“Ms. Espinosa is down the hall to the left.”“Right.” He backed up, and she smiled as he gave a similar wave to his son, surprising her when he stopped in the doorway, “Um, you’ll let me know the date of this competition?”“I’ll make sure you have all the information.”He nodded and walked out of the room, and she found herself in her doorway, watching as he scanned the room numbers looking for his next stop.“I was just going to go steal some of the snacks they put out for the parents; you want me to bring you cookies?” Glenn asked as he approached her classroom. When she didn’t immediately respond, he followed her eyes down the hall, “Everything went ok?”“Mmhmm.” She nodded, turning to face him after Rick disappeared into the classroom down the hall.“Mmhmm? Earlier this week, you had all these questions about the kid. Did you get your answers?”“Is it weird to say he’s different than what I expected?” Michonne asked.“I don’t know, what did you expect?”“The man his son wrote about.”
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“Is Carl still awake?” Rick asked his mom when he walked into the living room and found her reading.“I’m not sure. He went up to bed half an hour ago; he might still be awake.” She flipped the page and laughed in response to whatever the characters in her book were doing and Rick climbed the stairs quickly.He paused just outside Carl’s room and tapped the door twice, leaning in to hear any movement. When he didn’t hear anything, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. The lamp on his nightstand was still on, but Carl was knocked out, clearly having fallen asleep while working on something.Rick pulled the pencil and paper out of his hands and put them on the desk, before adjusting his blanket and turning his light out. When he walked back into the living room, Dawn was turning another page but looked up when she heard him, “He’s asleep?”“Yeah, looks like he’s been out for a bit. Thank you for staying. I can’t believe I forgot about his parent-teacher conferences.”“No problem, I love the extra time with them. How did they go? Things have been pretty quiet the last couple of weeks, right?”“No issues, his math teacher still thinks he’s not catching on to everything, but that seems relatively normal, I suppose. Otherwise, everything seemed pretty good.” He took a breath and Dawn returned to her book, “Has Carl, well I mean, did he mention anything to you about a writing competition that he’s entering?” Dawn made a face as she tried to recall their recent conversations. Then, she closed her book and placed it next to her.“No,” she said, shaking her head “I know he enjoys his English class. It’s the only teacher I feel like I’ve heard about, but nothing about a competition.” Rick nodded, “They mentioned one?”“Yeah, um Mrs. Hawthorne told me about it. She asked me if he’s always been a strong storyteller.”“What did you say?”“I just kind of sat there like an idiot.” Rick replayed the conversation in his mind, embarrassed as he considered how he must have come across.“I’m sure it won’t be held against you. What’s the story about?”“I don’t know.”“You didn’t get a copy?” Dawn asked.“Well, she didn’t offer one, and I think I was just surprised.”“Are you going to ask Carl for a copy?”“I feel like I should wait for him to tell me, shouldn’t I? I think he might have already tried.” Rick rubbed his face, exhausted by the day.“Oh, well, if he already tried to tell you once, I’m sure he’ll come back around.” She smiled at him before she scooted off the couch and stood, “I should be getting home.” She walked over and tapped his cheek, “You’re being too hard on yourself. It’s been a tough year, not just for Carl but for all of you, there are bound to be some clunky moments.”Rick nodded, trying to receive what she was telling him, “Thanks, mom.” When Carl came downstairs, he could hear Judith talking. They couldn’t make out what she was saying yet, but it was clear she was trying to get a point across. He had to be out to catch his bus in thirty minutes, and normally, he would have spent that time in his room reading or drawing, but today he smelled something coming from the kitchen and had to go down to investigate.“You made breakfast?” Carl asked. Rick was pulling bacon out of the skillet, already dressed in his uniform.“Yeah, you hungry?” He placed some bacon and eggs on a plate and slid it in front of Carl who sat down, still confused, “What? Why are you acting like you’ve never had breakfast before?”“I have, it’s just that it was always mom that – “ Carl lowered his eyes and ripped at the napkin in front of him, the room had gone quiet other than Judith rambling.“You’re right, without your mom, we’ve fallen into a pattern of pop tarts and microwaved breakfast sandwiches, but I figured I had some extra time, it might be nice for us to have breakfast.”“Did something bad happen at my parent-teacher conference?”“No, can’t I just want to have breakfast with my kid?” It was obvious Rick was frustrated, and Carl still seemed unnerved by the change in their morning routine.“Sure.” He lifted a fork and had a bite of eggs as Rick chopped up some of his and placed them in front of Judith.“I had some great conversations with your teachers. They all said there haven’t been any issues recently, which I was happy to hear. Ms. Espinosa says that it seems like you may still be struggling a bit in her class. Do you think we need to get you a tutor? I don’t know a thing about math.”“I think I’m getting it, they just teach it differently here. I feel like we didn’t learn how to do some of the stuff we’re doing at my old school.” Carl pushed his eggs around his plate before biting into his bacon.“Well, we’ll give it a few more weeks and then we’ll look at our options.” Rick watched Carl nod, hoping he’d ask questions or offer any information, but instead, he just continued to eat, “Um, Mrs. Hawthorne said you are doing really well in her class.”“Miss.”“What?”“Ms. Hawthorne.” Carl corrected.“Right, well, she said you’re doing really well in her class.”“She did?” Carl asked, smiling to himself as he ate more of his food, and Rick did his best not to get impatient.“Yes, she did. She mentioned –““Sorry, Dad, I have to go grab my stuff, the bus will be here in 10 minutes.” Carl stood, quickly shoveling one more mouthful, “Breakfast was cool. Can we do this again?”“Yeah, of course.” Rick replenished the eggs on Judith’s tray as he watched Carl walk out of the kitchen. “Are you Carl?”Carl looked up from his lunch tray to see an older blonde girl looking at him and waiting for his response. The table was empty and he had chosen it specifically because it was the furthest from anyone else.“Um, yes?”“Great.” She pulled out the chair closest to her and placed her book bag on the table, “I don’t have a ton of time but I wanted to meet you. I’m Beth. Michonne said we’re going to be working together on the competition.” She glanced over as she pulled out a notebook and saw confusion on his face, “Sorry, Ms. Hawthorne. She was my sister’s roommate in college, so it’s so weird not to call her by her name.” She waited, expecting him to answer, but didn’t seem thrown off when he didn’t, “What days work for you?”“For what?”“Prep work for the competition.” She couldn’t help but make a face, confused by his confusion.“I’m not following.”“You wrote the story, right? So my job is to act it out, read it, really, but they wouldn’t have picked someone from drama if they didn’t want it to be done well, right?” He nodded and she smiled, “So, I want to be able to pick your brain a bit, make sure I’m doing it justice.”“Oh, um, whatever day, I guess.”“Cool, do you normally sit here?”“I guess.” He didn’t sound sure, but he had the feeling she’d track him down wherever he was. She opened the notebook she’d been holding and wrote something down before closing it, putting it back in her bag, and standing. She was about to walk away when he spoke up, “Have you done the competition before?”“No, the last two years it’s gone to seniors.”“Oh.”“But I’ve been every year if you had questions.” She was watching him closely and he wasn’t sure if he appreciated the undivided attention or if it was making him more nervous.“Do a lot of people from school go? I mean you said you went every year.”“The drama club goes to support the person chosen, but no, it’s mainly parents of the kids who are performing or who are having their stories shared.” She sat back down at the table, “Why?”“It’s just weird, I guess, the idea that everyone would hear it.”“It wouldn’t have been chosen if it wasn’t good. Is that what you’re worried about? That it isn’t good?”“Have you read it?” He looked at her, nervous about her answer.“No, I asked for it, but Michonne said she gave you the option to edit it. Obviously, I still tried to get her to give me what she had,” she smiled at him, “But she said she wouldn’t share it without talking to you first.” Carl sat back in his seat and she stood again. “Well, I need to get to class, but I’ll look at a few days that may work for us.” She turned and Carl pulled his backpack into his lap.“Hey, Beth?”When she looked back, he was rummaging through his bag and pulled out a folder, after flipping through a few pages, he held out three of them for her, “This is my story.”“This is the final?”“I think so. I don’t know.”“I’ll read it tonight. I’ll let you know what I think.” “Shit Grimes. You gonna sit there starin’ into space all day, or are we gonna get this paperwork knocked out? ‘Cause I don’t know about you, but my apartment may be a shithole, but it’s my shithole and I don’t need to be paid to be there.” Abe pushed over the stack of files on Ricks desk and laughed before he started typing again.“I’m not starin’ into space.” Rick shoved the mess of papers over to the side.“What would you call it? What’s the problem? Women? Kids? You got kids, right? I don’t even know why I’m asking because I don’t know shit about either one.”“No problem. Just a little tired, that’s all. You’re right, though, let’s get this done so we can get out of here.” Rick went back to entering the information, and Abe watched him before pushing more folders over and laughing before getting back to work. He heard an email notification and rolled his eyes before he saw that it was an email from Carl’s school.
Subject: Recap of Parent-Teacher Conference
Dear Mr. Grimes,
It was a pleasure meeting you during last night’s parent-teacher conference. I appreciate you taking the time to discuss Carl’s progress in class.
As I mentioned, Carl currently has an A- in the class, and there are no outstanding assignments on his record. He’s doing a great job, and it’s clear he puts in effort and takes his work seriously.
As we discussed, the date and time for the upcoming competition is set for March 4th at 10:00 AM. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further details about the event.
Thank you again for your involvement and support. It’s always great to see a parent so engaged in their child’s education.
Best regards,
Michonne Hawthorne
Richardson Secondary
555-123-4567
“Right.” Rick shook his head as he started to read the email again.“You talking to me?” Abe asked.“What? No. I just got an email from my son’s teacher. She thanked me for being so engaged in his education.”“Well, that’s the kinda shit teachers say, right? What’s the problem?”“Because I haven’t been.” Rick was looking at the screen, reading the same line over and over again.“Is this a conversation you need me to be a part of?” Abe leaned back in his chair and Rick continued.“I wasn’t a part of this before. My wife was the one who knew about assignments that were due. She’s saying he didn’t have any outstanding assignments; I ask my son every day if he had homework, but I don’t think I’ve ever asked what the homework was.”"Is this us having a moment?" Abe asked, folding his arms as he watched Rick stare at his email. "Because Jenkins has kids that actually talk to him. Mine can’t stand me."The comment broke through Rick’s focus, pulling his attention away from the screen. He glanced over at Abe, who quickly averted his eyes, his posture stiffening as if he regretted what he’d said. Abe cleared his throat and began typing again, his fingers striking the keys with more force than usual.Rick considered saying something—asking why Abe felt that way—but the energy felt heavy suddenly and it was too loaded for a casual work conversation. Unsure how to navigate it, Rick simply lowered his eyes and clicked "Reply." Subject: Re: Recap of Parent-Teacher Conference
Dear Ms. Hawthorne,
Thanks for letting me know about the competition and giving me the dates. I’ll be there. Also, thank you for attaching the reference material for the app that was in the welcome packet. I had been clicking the wrong button.
Best,
Rick Grimes
“Hi!” Maggie held her arms out as she scooted back to make space for her guests to enter her home. Andre ran toward her and jumped into her arms, “Oophf, have you grown since I saw you last?” She asked him and he giggled.“Probably. I grow all the time.” He said confidently and she kissed his temple and put him down, “Can I go show Glenn my new dinosaur?” He looked between Michonne and Maggie.“Yep, he’s in the kitchen, I hope you brought two because he’s going to be jealous if he can’t play.” Maggie pulled his coat off his shoulders.“I brought FIVE!” He yelled, the tail end of his sentence barely heard as he jogged toward the kitchen.“How are you?” Maggie asked Michonne, closing the front door behind her and hanging both their coats on the available hooks.“Tired. You know we had parent-teacher conferences late yesterday and then all the follow-up that comes with it.” Michonne lifted her chin as she heard loud music coming from the back of the house and started to laugh, “Beth’s parent-teacher conferences didn’t go so well?”“You know how Daddy is. She has C’s in math and science, so he’s decided she’s lost her way.” They both laugh and sit on the couches, “She told him it doesn’t matter how she does in those subjects because she wants to be an actress, and he did that thing where he acts like he’s about to have a heart attack. It was very dramatic, as I understand. Seems like they both needed a break, so she’s spending a couple of nights with me.”“Did he talk to Glenn? This kind of thing happens all the time, especially for juniors and seniors who are figuring things out. I mean, she’s doing so well otherwise. She can get her grades up in Math and Science, she’s just decided not to focus on them.” “You know Glenn isn’t going to go against him,” Maggie laughed, “I was thinking maybe you could talk to her though, and remind her that if she wants to go to college for drama, she may need to have the grades to do that. I know she’ll listen to you.” “I’m not trying to go against your father either!”“Well, he wouldn’t see it that way with you.” They heard running as Andre rounded the corner.“Maggie, will you come play with me? Glenn burned my stegosaurus.” His lip poked out, clearly picturing his dinosaur and Maggie’s jaw dropped.“He what?!” She stood quickly and picked up Andre, walking to the kitchen where she could smell the burnt plastic. “Knock knock.” Michonne smiled at Beth as she looked over from her bed.“Ugh, thank God. Did Mags tell you? My father doesn’t support the arts.” She tapped a button on her phone, silencing the music that had been playing.“That’s not exactly how I heard it.” Michonne laughed and walked into the bedroom as Beth sat up, putting down the sheets of paper she’d been reading. She sat in the available seat and crossed her legs, “You know he doesn’t mind that you’re passionate about theatre. It just bothers him that you’re letting your grades slip in these other areas.”“What is a C, really? I mean twenty years from now, nobody is gonna care that I got a C in Chemistry.”“Can you pretend like you know I’m a teacher for a few minutes?”“Right.”“Do yourself a favor and put a little more effort into Chemistry and Calculus. You know how your dad can be, and if you get grounded before the competition, I’m going to be the one who is upset.” Michonne joked and Beth smiled, “I’m not saying you need to be a woman in STEM, but let’s keep your options open. I’m sure he finds it particularly confusing because of how much you put into your theatre performances. He’s watched you cut your hair and spend hours sewing costumes, I think he just wants an hour or so spent studying.”“Fine.” Beth rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth went up as Michonne stood.“Oh, I met Carl.” Beth picked up the papers and held them up, “He gave me his story to read.” Michonne leaned in the doorway and crossed her arms.“He gave it to you, or you badgered him until he gave it up?”“I promise I just introduced myself to him, and he offered it up. No duress required.” She put her hands up as she defended herself and Michonne laughed, “It seemed like he wanted me to read it.”“Oh?”“Yeah.”“So, what’d you think?”“I’m gonna look great on stage with a brown pixie cut.” She looked down at the pages and Michonne dropped her arms.“Beth!” This time when Carl came downstairs, he wasn’t as surprised to find Rick in front of the stove, but he was surprised to find his grandmother standing next to him handing him a small bowl.“What’s going on?” Carl sat down after kissing the top of Judith’s head.“Good morning sweetheart.” Dawn smiled at him as Rick took the bowl and spread what looked like cheese on the eggs in the skillet.“I’m just making breakfast.” Rick turned the burner off and looked over at Carl, “I figured we’d get bored if I made the same thing every day so your grandmother offered to show me how to make breakfast burritos.”He put plates down on the table, and Carl had to admit they smelled amazing. As they settled down to eat, he felt Rick’s eyes on him as he took his first bite, “They’re really good.”“Good.” Rick smiled, happy that they had been well received and he thanked his mom before putting some food out for Judith, “What classes do you have today?” Carl stopped chewing at the question.“Um, math, gym, Spanish, and history.”“You had that worksheet due in math today, right?” Rick tried to sound as confident as possible.“Yeah.” Carl took another bite.“Did you get it done?” Rick asked and Carl nodded in response.“I finished most of it in class yesterday, so I only had a couple of problems left.” He finished his burrito and stood, “I should go get my stuff, the bus is coming.” He walked out of the kitchen and Dawn looked at Rick.“What?”“Nothing. I think it’s good that you’re paying attention to his homework.”“They gave me the information for the app, I just couldn’t figure out how to use the damn phone. But, I got in there last night, and it’s all right there. I’m in trouble if he asks me to help him with it. I saw the worksheet; I understand why he’s struggling.”“He’ll figure it out. You both will.” Carl flinched as a bookbag landed on the table next to him at lunch and looked up to find Beth seated in the same chair she’d occupied the day before, “I read it.”“Ok.”“Are your mom and dad coming to the competition?” She asked.“My mom’s dead,” Carl said and watched Beth closely to gauge her response, when she didn’t give much of a reaction, and just nodded, he continued “I’m not sure if my dad will go or not. He’s not normally into stuff like that.”“You’re worried about what he’ll think? What everyone will think when they hear the story?” She waits and sees a small shrug from him, “I don’t think you should, selfishly because you’ve given me a lot to work with, but you can always change it, pull some of it out, I mean if you wanted.”“Is that what you would do?”“No, but who cares what I would do? It’s your call.” She smiled at him and stood, “And I know we don’t know each other, like at all, but if you ever wanted to talk.” She paused to put her bag on her shoulder, “My mom passed away too.” Carl nodded, giving a similar response to the one she gave earlier, and after another smile, she walked off. “Come in.” Michonne smiled from her desk, putting the sandwich she’d been eating on the bag in front of her. Carl walked in, checking to see if anyone was already in the classroom, not wanting to interrupt again, “Did you need something?”“I just wanted to let you know that I don’t need to make any changes to my story.”“Well, then I will go ahead and get some sessions scheduled for us. It shouldn’t take much, but seeing as we don’t have a lot of time, that’s a good thing. I heard you met Beth.”“Mmhmm, I think we have the same lunch period.”“Nope, she should absolutely be in Chemistry when you have lunch,” She laughed to herself and shook her head as she caught Carl looking nervous that he might have gotten Beth in trouble, “Don’t worry about it.” She chuckled again before reaching for her phone.“Thank you for telling my dad I was doing well in your class.” Carl bit his bottom lip and Michonne put her phone on her desk.“Well, I told him that because you are doing well, so that’s really on you.”“If I was having trouble in a class like if I needed extra help –“ He paused and she smiled, trying to put him at ease before scooting her chair back and standing and looking at the clock.“We have some time, let’s go talk to Ms. Espinosa together. I haven’t really gotten to know much about the tutoring center since I started, and I think she can answer all of our questions.” Carl wanted to decline, not wanting to take up any of her time, but if his father was going to be paying attention to his assignments, he didn’t want him to see him doing badly.“Thank you.”“It’s what I’m here for.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Thoughts on if I cry here?” Beth stood on the stage and looked to Carl whose eyes cut to Michonne.“No.” She answered easily.“I just feel like it would set the tone for everything that comes after.” Beth pleaded her case.“That’s not an example of you setting the tone; you’re working with the material you’ve been provided. He doesn’t make any mention of crying. Part of your challenge in this competition is to take a story and properly represent what they’ve given you.” Michonne made a note and waited patiently for Beth to respond.“Looking back, do you think you were considering crying?” Beth asked Carl who shook his head.“I don’t think so.” He shrugged, almost feeling bad that she wouldn’t be able to cry like she wanted to.“It’s alright. You know what? Anyone can cry on demand, so it’ll almost be better if I’m working from under the surface. I got this.” She nodded, hyping herself up, and Michonne chuckled softly.“Let’s call it for today. You both have class in 15 minutes.” Michonne closed the notebook she was writing in, and Beth jumped off the stage before grabbing her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. She waved goodbye and then stopped halfway up the aisle on her way out.“Oh, Daddy asked me to remind you about dinner tonight.”“I’ll be there,” Michonne said with a wave, already reminding herself to pick up the lemon loaf Hershel liked. Once the auditorium door clicked shut, she turned to Carl, holding out her hand. “Alright, let’s see it.”Carl slid his backpack off his shoulder, unzipped it, and pulled out a folder. He flipped past the top sheet, hesitated, then handed her the page beneath. Michonne took a steadying breath as she flipped it over. Her eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my god!” she exclaimed, her smile lighting up her face.When she looked at him, his cheeks were tinged pink, but he was grinning. “Carl, this is amazing.”“Ms. Espinosa said that if I keep working at it, I won’t have to do the summer class.” This was the first quiz that he’d taken since he started meeting with a tutor twice a week. When they’d gone to meet with Rosita, she had let them know that all Carl needed to do was sign up for tutoring, and he would be able to meet with someone during his free period. Once Carl had signed up, Michonne asked Glenn if he could use his influence to have Carl assigned to someone specific, and that allowed her to pick a student she thought would be a good fit for him.She’d thought about how at the first preschool she’d enrolled Andre in, he had struggled with his teacher, not responding well to her. While he was generally very talkative and upbeat, when she’d picked him up, he seemed detached and a little down. After a few months, she’d asked around for suggestions of other preschools and was able to find a much better fit. She saw the way his face lit up even just after a few minutes in the new environment.One of the things Michonne loved most about being a teacher was the ability to encounter new situations every day. When Glenn had pressed, wondering again about her interest in Carl, she’d mentioned that she cared about all of her student’s success, but if she was being honest, there was something about Carl that reminded her of Andre. They both had a quiet energy and curiosity and she hoped that Andre would always have a teacher that would provide the right kind of encouragement so that he could flourish.“What are you going to do to celebrate your first A on a quiz in math class?” She handed him his quiz back and watched him look at the grade again. Carl shrugged, put it back in his folder, and slipped the folder into his backpack, “Well, consider doing something. This is a very big deal. I’m proud of you.” The bell rang and Carl stood, knowing he only had a few minutes to get to class. He smiled at Michonne again and walked out of the auditorium. She watched him go before walking over to the table she’d been sitting at and opening her laptop. Subject: Quick Question
Dear Mr. Grimes,
I’m so sorry to bother you. I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to look at Carl’s grade for his Math quiz that he took on Monday, but it’s very exciting. We have a stash of candy bars that we’ll raid to reward students and this seems like the perfect opportunity. Can you tell me his favorite candy bar so that I can give it to him in class later?
I understand you may be busy, so if you’re not able to answer in the next couple of hours, no pressure, I’ll improvise, but I figured I should at least try to get his favorite.
Best regards,
Michonne Hawthorne
Richardson Secondary
555-123-4567
Rick read the email twice on his phone and adjusted his seatbelt across his chest. He’d been out on patrol for the last few hours and was currently waiting for Abe to finish writing a ticket. He looked up and saw his partner was still talking to the man they’d pulled over so he made a call.“Hi, sweetheart.”“Hey Mom, I have a question for you. Do you know Carl’s favorite candy bar?” Rick tried to ask in a way that didn’t embarrass him, but he knew his mom could tell how he was feeling more easily than most.“Can’t say that I do. I know I’ve seen him eat one.” She paused and he pictured her trying to remember the last time she saw him eat a candy bar, knowing how long he tried to picture it the first time he’d read her email, “Why do you ask? Are you wanting to buy him one? I’m sure he’ll like whatever you pick up.”Rick knew she was right, but he was also pretty positive that, given the meeting they’d had and the 15 or so stories that Carl had shared with him she was hoping to give him his favorite.“Thanks for your help. I gotta get back on the road. I’ll see you when I get home, let me know if you need me to stop to pick anything up.”“Will do sweetheart, love you, be safe.” Rick hung up the phone and started to type a response. He looked over when the passenger side door opened and Abe sat down."Everything good?" Abe asked, glancing over as Rick lowered his phone."Yeah," Rick said, starting the car. "Just trying to figure out Carl’s favorite candy bar. What’s your favorite candy bar?"Abe snorted, shaking his head. "Doesn’t get better than a PayDay.”“Well, if there was one candy bar I can be sure it isn’t – it’s a PayDay.” Rick laughed to himself and lifted his phone again.
Subject: Re: Quick Question
Dear Ms. Hawthorne,
I honestly don’t know what it is. That’s probably not something I should have to guess about, but here I am. I’ve seen him eat candy bars before, but I can’t say I remember the specific bar. I know that he’ll enjoy whichever one you give him and thank you for letting me know about the quiz, that’s great news.
Best,
Rick Grimes
Michonne read the email and leaned back in her chair. She felt guilty that she had put him in that position, but she hadn’t expected this would be the end result. It was normal for her to reach out to parents if she wanted to do anything special, generally to gauge permission but also to get any additional insight. The bell rang and within minutes her class started to fill up.Carl walked into the classroom, keeping his head down and moving quickly to his seat. Michonne had a few students stop by her desk to ask questions, and after everyone was settled, she took her place at the front of the class.“I need all of you to remove everything from your desks,” the room was in motion as people put their books back into their bags, and Michonne placed a stack of lined paper on the desk closest to her, “I need each of you to take a piece of paper and then pass it to the next person.” She pulled out two boxes of colored pencils and started handing one out to each student, “Today we’re going to split the class in two,” She used her hand to cut the class in half, “and we’re going to play Story Pass.”“What’s that?” one of the students asked her.“Each of you will have three minutes to start a story for me. You’ll write something like, “There hadn’t been anyone inside the house for the last seven years.” Or “They said the lamp was magic, but it was hard to say that was true.” Something that is a fun prompt to kick your story off.” She walked back up to her desk and held up a timer, “When you hear this go off, you’ll pass your paper to the next person, and they’ll have five minutes to read what you have and then continue the story. We’ll continue until the end of class.”The students smiled, already thinking about how they’d start their stories and she could sense their anticipation.“What if I can’t think of anything to write?”“Think of something to write.” She joked, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourselves, but please be somewhat thoughtful. The next stage of this project will be that your classmates will receive their original prompt back and will edit it into a final draft. Using my example if I received one of your pages that said. There hadn’t been anyone inside the house for the last seven years, I might continue with, but that’s exactly what inspired Tom to sneak inside. He’d never met anyone who had ventured in, and he was excited to be the first. Any other questions?”“What if someone ruins the story?”“How is a story ruined?” She pushed back and the student considered the question.“I mean if I have to make the story good and someone says they blew the house up instead of sneaking inside or something.” The class chuckled and Michonne looked around with her brows raised.“It seems like the explosion was a welcome addition to the story.” She smiled, “You won’t ruin each others stories. Be thoughtful and considerate with your continuations, but don’t overthink it. Are we ready?” She watched as they lifted their colored pencils as though they were about to start a race and she pressed the start on the timer.They all started writing, some of them smiling as they wrote, others a bit more apprehensive, but all pencils were moving so she was happy. The first time the timer went off, she watched as they reached for the first prompt they would get. She added 30 seconds to allow them to read what they’d gotten, and alerted them that the timer was going again.They continued until their papers had reached the last person. It was clear most of the stories had taken a silly turn based on the laughter she was hearing, but she saw a sprinkle of contemplative faces that told her some of them had perhaps been more serious than she expected. When the final timer went off and they got their stories back they didn’t wait for her to give instructions, they were all reading furiously, occasionally turning to each other and saying things like, “I can’t believe you wrote that!” and “How did you even think of that?”“So, assignment for next class! Please keep the copy you have in its current condition. You will start a new draft that will be a rewritten edit of the story you have in hand. I want to ensure that I get to see the process from start to finish. This draft isn’t as much about grammar as it is about smoothing out any story gaps and ensuring it has an appropriate ending. We’ll do a peer review to sort out grammar over the next two classes. Any questions?”The bell went off without any questions, and the students packed up their things, eager to get to their final class for the day. Carl stopped at her desk, held up his paper in front of her, and started reading, “But he was a nice alien, he didn’t understand why everyone seemed so afraid of him. He’d only come down to enjoy the baseball game like anyone else and hadn’t meant to attract this kind of attention. Lucky for him, just as security was closing in, he heard the bat strike the ball, and all eyes went to the field.”“What was your initial prompt?” “When I was cleaning my basement, I opened a door I’d never seen opened before. As I pulled it open, I saw a staircase, but couldn’t see where it ended.” They both laughed at how far the story had gone and Carl rolled his eyes, already imagining what he might add, “See you next week.”“Oh, Carl!” He stopped and turned back.“I owe Mr. Rhee a thank you for helping us out with scheduling the auditorium, and he has a sweet tooth.” She opened her bottom drawer and showed the available candy bars, “Which one do you think he might like?” Carl walked over, and his eyes went wide at the candy.“Maybe a Crunch bar?”“Oh, you like Crunch bars?” She asked, casually as she started to pull one out.“No, I’d want a Big Cat, but I don’t know if he’d like that. My mom always said the wafer, caramel, and chocolate was just too much.” He smiled at the end of his sentence, but she watched as his face changed and a sadness crept in.“Hey.” She tossed him the Big Cat bar and he put out his hands automatically, catching it.“For the help and the A on your quiz.” She closed the drawer, and his smile returned as he started to walk out, “Don’t eat it all at once, please!” “I’m home!” Rick removed his shoes and listened, hearing Judith giggle and walking toward the living room. He smiled as she turned and crawled toward him, abandoning the ball she’d been pushing around. He lowered to scoop her up and bounced her softly on his hip, “How was everything today.”“Great. She went down for her naps easily, and Carl has been up in his room since he got home from school.”“I’m gonna go ask him about dinner. We’d love to have you stay if you’re interested.” He put Judith back down, placing the ball back in her hand, and looked at his mom.“I wouldn’t miss it!”Rick knocked on Carl’s door and heard him tell him to come in. When he opened the door, he was sitting at his desk holding a pencil and paper, “Hey Dad.”“Hey, how was school?”“Good! I’m writing a paper about an alien who came down from a hidden staircase in the basement and went to a baseball game.” Carl laughed and went back to writing. Rick saw the open candy bar on his desk and stepped into his room.“Anything else happen today?” Rick sat down on his bed.“Oh, um, I got my math quiz back.” Carl pulled his quiz out and handed it to his father before returning to his paper. Rick smiled when he saw the grade at the top.“This is great. Maybe we can order some food to celebrate? Whatever you want.”“Whatever I want?” Carl turned in his chair.“Yep.”“Can we have spaghetti?”“Wow, it’s been years since I made that.” Rick’s thoughts drifted back to their old kitchen. He could almost hear the clang of pots and pans as he rummaged through the cabinets, frantically searching for a strainer while the water boiled over on the stove. Lori didn’t go out much, but when she did, she usually made sure dinner was ready beforehand. On the rare occasions, it fell to him, his go-to meal for Carl was always spaghetti—simple, reliable, and something he knew his son loved.“You don’t have to. We can just order pizza,” Carl said, misreading his dad’s silence.Rick stood and opened Carl’s door. “No, we need to ask your grandmother if she can stay with Judith while we run to the store. Then we’re making spaghetti.”“Wait, really?” Carl asked, his eyes widening in surprise.“Yeah, really. Let’s go—I want to hear more about this alien on the way.” Rick motioned toward the door, a small smile tugging at his lips.Carl stood, his grin still firmly in place, unchanged since Rick had first agreed. He took a couple of steps and then paused and turned back to his desk, grabbing his story and taking a bite of his candy bar. Rick’s brows went up as he saw him fold the top over and put it back on his desk.“I told her I wouldn’t eat all of it at once,” Carl said without further explanation and walked out of his room. “Michonne, thank god! Daddy is on the warpath!” Beth stood up from the couch when they walked in. She looked at Maggie as she took her coat off.“Translation?”“He won’t let her cut and dye her hair for the competition next weekend.” Maggie flipped the page in her magazine and Michonne nodded.“I certainly will not,” Hershel confirmed as Michonne leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. He eyed the bag in her hand, “What’s that?”“Your lemon loaf and a candy bar for Glenn.”“Michonne, you have to talk to him. Tell him how important it is to my character.”“I’m afraid I can’t do that, sweetie, you know I already told you that if you really felt strongly about having the same haircut as Carl, we would just get a wig from the drama department. Now, if you just wanted to cut and dye your hair because that’s a hairstyle that you liked, I am happy to join that conversation.”“You want hair like mine?” Andre asked, smiling up at Beth and she pointed her hand at him before picking him up.“My only ally.” He giggled as she tickled his stomach and walked out of the room still holding him. “You just had to choose her for this competition?” Hershel asked.“I didn’t choose her,” Michonne said, lowering herself onto the couch. Maggie sat down the magazine she’d been flipping through and gave her full attention. “I stay in my lane as much as possible. My job is to pick the story; the head of the drama department picks the student who competes. But honestly, it couldn’t have worked out better. You know how talented she is, and she and Carl work together so well.”“I won’t push too hard, since I saw her at least pretending to study with her chemistry book the other day,” Hershel chimed in, pointing a finger at the two women. “But she’s not cutting her hair, and I’m counting on you both to make sure of it!”Michonne and Maggie burst out laughing as Hershel left the room, they could still hear him talking to himself as he walked down the hall.“Ignore him. He’s been having a crisis since Beth started looking at college applications.” She leaned over to make sure he was out of earshot, “I don’t even think she wants to cut her hair, I think she’s just messing with him now.”“You all are coming next week, right?”“Of course. We’ll all be there.” Maggie opened the grocery bag Michonne had put on the table and pulled out the Crunch bar, ripping into it. When she saw Michonne watching her she paused before she took a bite, “What’s his is mine.”Michonne heard her phone go off and flinched, having forgotten to turn the sound off. She pulled her phone out and saw an email had come in through her work email, surprised as she saw who it was from.
Subject: Re: Quick Question
Dear Ms. Hawthorne,
Thank you again for letting me know about the quiz and for figuring out his favorite candy bar. It’s been noted for the future. But I guess if you already know it, you wouldn’t need to ask me again. But if you by chance forgot, I will know.
Best,
Rick Grimes
She smiled as she read it, chuckling as she finished it the second time and Maggie watched her, “What’s so funny?”“Just an email from a parent. Carl’s dad, actually.”“Interesting.” Maggie stood, needing to go to the kitchen to check on the chicken she had in the oven.“What is that supposed to mean?” Michonne stood and followed.“Nothing, probably nothing. But, maybe something?” Maggie raised her brows and looked back, and Michonne smiled as she shook her head.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Mommy, can we go play on the playground outside?” Andre had his hands and nose pressed to the glass window in the hall, the playground much larger than the ones he was used to in their smaller town.The state competition was held in Atlanta, an hour outside of Richardson, and they’d already been at the school for over an hour. She had picked Beth up that morning, wanting to ensure they arrived early with plenty of time to check in and get settled before the competition.When they had arrived, Michonne held up the program, showing off Carl and Beth’s names in the programs as entries. Beth had been holding Andre and took it from her hand, explaining to him that he would see her on stage later in the day.“We will make time for you to get outside, but for now, we need to wait for everyone to arrive so that we can make sure we have seats together.” She waited for Andre to look up at her and saw him pouting as he watched the swings moving back and forth in front of him.“Black or white?” Beth made Michonne jump as she asked her question, already wearing a white t-shirt but holding up a black one next to it. They were identical and it was clear based on her facial expression that she was laboring over the decision.“Either one would be fine, but if you’re not sure, why don’t you wait until Carl gets here and ask him?”“Do you know when he’s getting here? I should probably do a trial run in both shirts. I think I look better in the black, but it feels like Carl – ““Beth!” Michonne interrupted and she took a deep breath, waiting for Beth to do the same and then they exhaled together.“Last year, Alyssa Morton got 4th place.” “Ok.”“That’s the best anyone at our school has ever done. I’m the first junior who has gotten to compete. What if I get 5th place?”“Then you get 5th place. Listen,” Michonne shook her head, “You have done a beautiful job in every rehearsal, and more than that, you’ve been so respectful of Carl’s work.” Beth nodded, “Whatever happens, everyone is going to be so proud of you.” She tilted her head, waiting for Beth to make eye contact with her, and watched as she took another breath.“It’s the white shirt.”“Perfect.” Michonne smiled and Beth jogged off to change her top, greeting Maggie and Glenn as they walked into the building. “Please tell me she’s not going to cut her hair,” Maggie said to Michonne as Andre ran toward them, jumping into Glenn’s arms.“No no, just a costume change. We have all agreed that she won’t be making any changes to her hair.”“How are things otherwise?” Glenn asked, looking around the auditorium lobby, “Have you seen Principal Monroe yet?”“Yeah, she disappeared with the superintendent a while ago.”“Can we go play on the swings?” Andre stage whispered to Glenn who smiled and looked over at Michonne.“Fine. Can you just make sure you all are back in the next 20 minutes?” Maggie and Michonne laughed as Glenn and Andre shared a celebration and walked to the door, “Where’s Hershel?” Michonne looked around.“Parking the car. He got a call about someone who needed him to come look at their goat, but he was trying to track down a referral since we’ll be out of town all day.” Maggie pulled out her phone, “Let me send a note to Beth to let her know if she needs help with her make-up, I’m here.” Michonne saw movement out of the corner of her eye and watched as Rick Grimes walked into the building. He was holding a baby; she would guess she was around a year old. His eyes scanned the lobby and when they made eye contact, she smiled at his wave.He had paused in the doorway, holding it open for an older woman who he guessed was Carl’s grandmother, and she watched as Carl trailed in behind them. They made their way through the small crowd that was gathering and Rick was the first to make introductions.“Ms. Hawthorne, this is my mother, Dawn Grimes, and this is my daughter, Judith.” Dawn smiled at Michonne, and they both extended their hands.“It’s so nice to meet you both.” She smiled at Judith, “This is Maggie. She’s Mr. Rhee’s wife, but her most important role today is Beth’s sister.”“I think Beth would say that’s my most important role every day.” Maggie joked and shook hands with Dawn and Rick.Michonne looked over at Carl, whose eyes were still down at his feet. She held out the program, opening it up and pointing at the list of names, “I think you may recognize a couple of names here.” She saw his eyes move through the list, and even though it didn’t seem like he wanted to be excited, he looked up and smirked at her when he saw his name.“Is Beth on here too?” He took the program from her hand and kept looking and she pointed to the back page.“Yep, she’s right there.”“Your story is called Lightening?” Dawn asked, holding the program she’d grabbed at the door open to Rick. Michonne watched as Carl tensed.“Yes, It was the title that caught my eye first when he turned it in.” She said quickly, filling the awkward silence.“Thank god!” Most of the people in the filled lobby looked to the side door where Beth was standing, “Sorry.” She curled her shoulders and made her way through the different groups, “We need a final run-through.” She grabbed Carl’s elbow and started to pull him away and Michonne put her hand out.“Beth. The presentations will start in a few minutes, why don’t you let Carl get settled in his seat with his family?”“I’ll go. I can watch the show from the side.” Carl let himself be pulled and Michonne glanced at Rick making it obvious she wanted him to approve.“It’s fine.” Rick turned to Carl, who was already a few feet away, “We’ll meet here after, ok?”“Sorry, my sister is a bit intense. Can’t imagine where she got that from.” Maggie smiled, and Michonne laughed. “Let’s go get seated.” Michonne turned and walked, apologizing as she scooted through the mingling crowd. The doorman opened the door for her, recognizing her as one of the teachers who had come into the auditorium earlier. Once they got inside, they walked down the middle aisle, and she pointed them to the row that she’d blocked off.“Do you mind if I sit at the end in case I need to take Judith out? This is a long time for her to sit still.” Rick shifted Judith over to the other hip.“No, I was thinking the same thing for my son,” Rick looked around, and Michonne smiled, “He’s out on the playground. Hopefully, exhausting himself before he comes back and starts the challenge of sitting still for an extended amount of time.” Maggie walked past them, saving seats for Glenn and her father while Dawn moved into another open seat.“So, what are we in for?” Rick asked.“Well, there are 15 different stories that are represented by two students. One student author and one student performer. The stories are memorized, and they step up on that platform there,” She motioned to the empty stage with the platform in the middle, “and it’s just them and the spotlight. It’s my first year attending, but I’ve seen videos from last year.”“Thanks, Carl didn’t offer much information.” Rick moved Judith again, giving her a better view of the people moving behind them.“Well, it’s his first time here too.”“He’s been pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing.” He cleared his throat, “He tried to talk me out of coming last night and then again this morning.” He smiled, but it was obvious he was disappointed, and it occurred to Michonne that Carl had never mentioned his father’s reaction to the story.“Um, did you get a chance to read it, I –““You would think they were protecting the gold codes the way I had to beg him to open the lobby door for me.” Hershel approached them at their row and Rick stepped out of the way.“Daddy, you’re over here,” Maggie held up her hand and he scooted past Dawn as he greeted her. It was a small town and while they didn’t know each other well, they had met previously.“That’s Beth’s father.” Michonne said, and her mind was racing, “Um, about the story, I –““Michonne! Do you have a minute?” Deanna was up on the stage, standing with the superintendent and waving her hand.“Yes, Principal Monroe.” Michonne started to walk down the aisle and then turned back, “I’ll be right back, and I can pull up the story so that you can read it.” Rick looked at her, confused, as she turned to walk back, jogging up the stairs and watching as the principal introduced her to who he assumed was their boss.The auditorium doors opened and the seats started to fill, Rick had taken his seat, letting Judith crawl back and forth between his lap and his mother’s.“Mr. Grimes, how are you?”Rick stood and held out his hand, greeting Carl’s guidance counselor, “Mr. Rhee? Right?”“That’s right.”“I’m Andre.” Andre held out his hand the way he’d seen the men greet each other, and Rick shook it, smiling.“Nice to meet you, Andre.”“Where’s my Mommy?” He leaned forward, hanging precariously from Glenn’s arms.“She’s up there, baby,” Maggie pointed up at the stage where Michonne was still talking, “Come keep me company until she gets back.” Glenn placed Andre on the ground, and the adults smiled as he repeated, “Cuse me. Cuse me.” When he walked between them and their seats. After a few minutes, the lights in the auditorium flashed, warning everyone the show was about to start. “Pssst!” Michonne looked up from the conversation that she was having and politely excused herself to walk over to the stage where Beth was waving her over.“Are you all set?” Michonne asked and Beth nodded, excited.“White shirt?” Beth asked and Michonne smiled.“It looks perfect.” She nodded and saw Carl poking his head around the curtain, “Um, Carl. Did you get a chance to show your family the story that you wrote?” Beth bit her bottom lip and let her eyes wander as Carl swallowed and didn’t look at Michonne, “Carl?” After a few more seconds, he shook his head, and she brought her hand up to her lips, surprised, but let it lower, trying to relax, “So they’re going to hear it for the first time today?”“I tried to tell them not to come.” His voice was low, and Michonne took a step closer and leaned in.“Do you want to go talk to your dad now? I can ask him to come up here and-““And what?” Carl looked up and Michonne pulled back, hearing a tone she wasn’t used to, “I tell him that everyone is about to hear how much my parents hated each other?” Beth stepped closer to them and put her hand on Carl’s shoulder.“Chill out.”“I’m sorry.” Carl mumbled before clearing his throat and looking at Michonne, “I’m sorry. I just – when I wrote it, I didn’t think anyone else would read it. Then you liked it, and I liked that it was good. I didn’t know how to tell him, and I wasn’t even sure he was going to come, and then he wouldn’t not come, and I – I didn’t know what to say. He told me the other day after my quiz, that he was proud of me,” His voice cracked, and Michonne took a step closer. Without any prompting, he hugged her and she rubbed the back of his head, feeling him shake against her.“It’s ok.” She saw the lights flash again and took a breath before she pulled back, “It’s ok.” Carl wiped his eye, and she lowered to make eye contact with him, “It’s ok. Do you want me to pull it?”“WHAT?” Beth asked, shocked, and Michonne held up her hand to try to calm her down.“Beth.” Michonne looked over at her, her eyes wide, and Beth took a breath before nodding in silent agreement that if he wanted it pulled, she’d agree.“Do you think he’s gonna be mad?” Carl asked and Michonne smiled softly.“No, I don’t.” She shook her head, attempting to be as reassuring as possible, "I think he's going to love your story even if it feels a bit sticky at the beginning for him."“I don’t want you to pull it.”“You’re sure?” Michonne asked, and she felt Beth pinch the back of her arm, causing her to flinch and Carl to smile for the first time.“I’m sure.”“Thank god.” Beth put her hand to her chest and took a deep breath. “I have to get to my seat. Are you sure you don’t want to come sit with us?” Carl nodded and they stepped apart.“Ok, well, it’s gonna be fine.” She looked over at Beth, “And you’re going to do great, you looneytoon.”“Whose filming?”“Glenn – and yes, we’ve already gone over where he needs to stand.” Michonne gave Carl one more quick hug and walked around the curtain, shrinking a bit as she realized how many eyes were on her as the superintendent was taking her spot at the podium. When she arrived at their row, Andre greeted her excitedly but stayed settled in Maggie’s lap.“Everything ok?” Rick asked and Michonne nodded, not looking at him as she settled into the open seat next to him.The superintendent greeted the attendees, walking them through a brief history of the competition before celebrating the spirit of creativity and thanking everyone who has supported their students.The first performer took to the stage, and within seconds, the audience was laughing. The next student captivated them by singing different lyrics between her spoken words as her story continued. Each performance was engaging, and it was easy to see why all of them had been selected. Michonne looked down at her program and knew Beth was up next, when her eyes went back to the stage, she saw her peeking around the curtain, and when she saw she’d been caught, she jumped back, causing Michonne to laugh.“I guess we’re up next,” Rick said, smiling, and Michonne tensed again.“Yep.”Beth’s name was introduced, and she walked out and stepped up onto the platform. Michonne glanced to the back of the auditorium and saw Glenn holding up his phone.“For me, it was always the lightning.” Beth started. Michonne looked to her left, seeing the smiles on Hershel and Maggie’s faces before she looked back on stage.“I know it’s the thunder for most people, but the warning was always worse for me. Something about knowing it was coming.” Michonne shifted in her seat, and she felt Rick watching closely as Judith climbed out of his lap and into her grandmother’s.“My dad called it heat lightning that day. He was standing at the window, watching the storm in the next town. I remember looking into the kitchen and waiting for the thunder. I saw the sky light up and heard a dish slam into the sink. I looked back at the window and saw the sky light up again, my father ignoring the thunder in the next room. I wished that I could ignore it too, and the next time the sky lit up, with a warning, I closed my eyes in anticipation.”Beth paused, and Michonne knew it was to let the tension build. She’d heard this story so many times but felt herself breathing harder as Beth let the silence linger on.Michonne saw movement next to her as Rick stood, scooting past her. When she looked back up at the stage, she saw Carl’s face in the same place she’d caught Beth earlier, and without thinking, she moved to her feet, following him out of the auditorium.By the time she got to the lobby, she didn’t see anyone, but she could see the front door closing, alerting her to his recent departure. She pushed the door open and saw him sit down on a bench. She approached the bench slowly, unsure what to do, but feeling like it was important that she make sure she hadn’t lied to Carl earlier.“Do you mind if I -?” She motioned to the seat next to him, and he lowered his eyes and shook his head. They sat quietly, and as the minutes clicked by, Michonne knew Beth’s performance was almost over.“My wife and I,” Rick cleared his throat, “We didn’t, I mean our communication-““You don’t have to explain anything to me.” Michonne interrupted.“I think I might.” Rick continued, “My wife and I.” He let out a heavy exhale, “ I look back on those times, and I think that I could have just talked to her, you know? I think now that may have been the better option, but I didn’t have any fight left in me.” He slouched in his seat, embarrassed and exhausted, surely replaying Beth’s dramatic recitation of an argument that he wouldn’t engage in years ago.“I moved out of my apartment with my boyfriend while he was on a business trip,” Michonne said, not sure why she was sharing, but having this overwhelming feeling that she wanted to make him feel better. Rick looked at her, surprised, “Deanna, or um, Principal Monroe,” Michonne pointed back at the school, “She had offered me the job at Richardson. Glenn had suggested me for the opening, and she contacted me. When I told him, Mike, his name is Mike. It was like he didn’t even hear me.” She didn’t notice as Rick looked over at her, “He said he didn’t think it was a good idea.” She turned to Rick and smiled, “Then he just went on his work trip.” She shrugged, “I remember just packing my bag, and it wasn’t until I was staying in Maggie’s guest room that I realized I’d changed my life, our lives.”“Well, at least your son won’t remember the arguments.”“That’s not the only thing your son remembers.” Michonne turns toward him on the bench.“I wish I could say I remember more of that specific evening, but that scenario was normal in our house. His Mom in the kitchen, washing dishes, me knowing she wanted to talk, but I knew where that would lead, so I just avoided it.” Rick looked up at the sky, “One of us probably should have been brave enough to pack our things. Sheriffs don’t normally take business trips. Maybe I should have done a weekend away.” He heard Michonne laugh and turned, surprising himself as he started to laugh too.“Sorry. It’s not funny.” She said and he shook his head, trying to put her at ease.“I should have realized that he was paying so much attention. Ever since Lori – ever since it’s just been us, every day I see how much I didn’t know.”"Can I be honest?" Michonne asked.Rick chuckled lightly. "Might be a little late for either of us to ask that. Go ahead."“He’s still paying attention, Rick.” His name easily rolled off her tongue, “But I think he’s picked up your habit of dodging hard conversations. He was worried about how you’d react to the story—that’s why he didn’t tell you. We need to go back inside.” She glanced at her watch, wondering how many more students had finished their presentations. When Rick didn’t respond, she stood and began walking toward the school.“When you left, and you said your life changed—what happened then?” Rick’s voice stopped her in her tracks.Michonne turned slightly, thoughtful. “I was gone for what felt like a long time. But Maggie brought me back. My son brought me back. This job, my students... they brought me back.” She smiled softly and resumed walking, knowing she needed to return before the closing remarks.When she reached the school’s front doors, Rick was there, holding one open for her. She nodded her thanks, and they walked together to the auditorium.Applause echoed before they entered, and the crowd was in the middle of a standing ovation. As Michonne sat, Andre reached for her, clapping excitedly. When Beth stepped forward to bow, he squealed with delight, joining in with the rest of the crowd. She hugged him tighter, his joy the constant validation of her decision to move.“Now, we’ll ask that all of you join us in the lobby for light refreshments and snacks before the awards ceremony that will take place in the atrium.” The auditorium started to empty, and Michonne made eye contact with Glenn, who seemed to silently ask her if everything was ok. She shrugged, unsure if she’d gotten through to him or not.Beth ran up to them, hugging Michonne, “Ugh, it was so good. Wait till you see! Fantastic coaching on not crying, by the way, it wasn’t necessary. Glenn, you got all of it, right?”“I didn’t miss a moment.” He responded quickly. Beth received her congratulations from her father and sister as Andre continued to clap for her, and Rick watched the stairs. When Carl didn’t come out, he turned to his mom who was still holding Judith.“I’m gonna…”.“We’ll go get something to drink.” Her eyes had a red rim around them, and she held Judith close as she started to walk up the emptying aisle. Michonne listened as Beth talked through her process with her family but watched Rick climb the stairs to the stage. Carl was in a chair, not too far from the stage entrance, sliding his shoe across the floor.“Hey.” Rick called out, and Carl looked up, trying to read the expression on his face, “We should get out there, we have to see if you won.”“I’m sorry, Dad.”“You don’t need to apologize to me.” Rick shook his head, “I’m sorry I missed most of your story. I shouldn’t have walked out. I was feeling guilty and maybe a bit embarrassed. But that’s not on you, ok? That’s on me. I think we may both need to do a little work when it comes to talking through things.”“You’re not mad?”“No. I’m not mad. Maybe a little bit at myself, but I’m not mad at you.” Neither of them moved but heard a throat clear behind them. When they looked over, Michonne was standing with Beth.“Everyone has gone to the lobby to get ready for the awards, but since we have a few minutes, I was wondering if you wanted to hear the rest.”“I flipped a line in my first performance; nobody caught it, but I’d feel better finishing the day with a flawless execution.” Beth smiled at them and Michonne nodded at Rick.“Yes, I would like to hear the rest of it. If that’s ok with you.” Rick looked at Carl, who hadn’t moved. His eyes lifted to Michonne, and she was smiling at him.“It would just be us.”“Ok.” Carl stood, and Beth clapped her hands. She turned and quickly, climbed onto the platform, and waited patiently for Michonne and Rick to move to their seats. Carl started to walk up the aisle, not sure he wanted to watch, but stopped at the last row and sat down.“For me, it was always the lightning. I know it’s the thunder for most people, but the warning was always worse for me. The way it could light up the whole sky. It made me feel small and at the same time it was a warning for what was coming.”“It was heat lightning that day, or that’s what my Dad called it. He was standing at the window, watching the storm in the next town. I remember looking into the kitchen and waiting for the thunder. I saw the sky light up and heard a dish slam into the sink. I looked back at the window and saw the sky light up again, my father ignoring the thunder in the next room. I wished that I could ignore it too, and the next time the sky lit up with a warning, I closed my eyes in anticipation.”Michonne looked over at Rick whose eyes were glued to the stage.“My dad turned from the window after the next dish landed, "Grab your jacket," he said, standing. "We’re going for a walk.” I followed him out the door without a word, and as soon as it closed behind us, it just seemed so quiet. I remember there were so many stars in the sky, and when it lit up again, I closed my eyes and gripped his hand, and my dad lifted me onto his shoulders.”Beth paused, doing her best to show how good it must have felt to feel so cared for.“We walked in silence for a while, and without the thunder, I only remember the sound our boots were making on the gravel and the distant chirp of crickets.”Carl smiled, still remembering so vividly as Beth walked in a circle on the platform in heavy boots.“We kept walking, and Dad started talking about the stars. He pointed out constellations, telling me their names and the stories behind them. He didn’t know all of them, some of them even sounded made up,” Michonne and Rick both smiled as Beth delivered her line, “but it didn’t matter. I liked hearing his voice. It made the darkness feel less big.”"That one there," he said, pointing toward the sky, "is Orion. He was a hunter. Big, strong guy. People say he could take down anything, but the part I always found the most important was that he was a protector.""Why?" I asked."Because when you have something or someone to protect, it reminds you what matters. Like you and your mom for me.” We stood there under the stars for what felt like forever. It didn’t matter that we didn’t know all the constellations or that, at that point, I was sure he was making some of the names up. When we started our walk home, the first time the lightning danced across the sky, I didn’t flinch. Somehow, on that walk, it had changed from something that terrified me, to something that reminded me how protected I was.”Beth bowed her head slightly, signaling the end of her performance, and Michonne moved to her feet, clapping hard, the sound echoing in the empty, large room. When she looked over at Rick, he had rested his elbow on the armrest next to him, and his fingertips were on his lips.Beth held out her hand, motioning to the back of the theatre, and acknowledged Carl, giving him a small bow and clapping for him. Rick looked back, not realizing Carl was in the room, and walked over, lifting him into a hug. Michonne wiped her eye on her sleeve and considered how to get out and give them a moment before the door slammed open.“They’re announcing!” Maggie waved her arm frantically and Beth hopped off the stage, all of them following her out of the auditorium and into the lobby before they took the stairs to the atrium.“And fourth place for our short story submission goes to Franchesca Witten!” The crowd clapped as the student, who must have been Franchesca, approached the podium and collected her award. They stood on the outskirts of the large group, Michonne scanning the crowd and smiling when she saw Hershel holding Andre who appeared to be falling asleep in his arms.“…to Carl Grimes!” The applause pulled Michonne out of her thoughts as it registered that Carl’s name had been called. He seemed shocked before Beth gave him a push, and he started walking forward. Michonne saw Deanna pat him on the back as he took his 3rd place trophy in hand. His cheeks were bright red, seemingly overwhelmed by all the attention, and he folded back into the crowd quickly.The second and first-place awards were handed out, and the top five students were asked to return to the stage for an additional round of applause. When Michonne snuck a look at Rick, he seemed a bit in a daze but recovered when Carl walked over, holding up his trophy for Michonne to see. She hugged him and looked at the trophy before holding it up for Beth. When she handed it back to him, he showed his dad, who nodded and pulled Carl in for another hug.“Congratulations.”“Fourth place, for our Short Story Performance goes to,” Beth’s nails dug into Michonne’s arm, “Edward Diaz.”“Shit,” Beth whispered.“That doesn’t mean anything. You could get higher.” Michonne whispered back.“Or I could not place at all.”“You were way better than him,” Carl said a little too loudly, and Rick covered his mouth and smiled awkwardly at the parents who looked over.“Third place, for our Short Story Performance goes to, “Cecelia Larsson.”“Ok, I knew I couldn’t beat the girl who sang, but I did think I was better than her.” Beth pouted as she leaned her head on Michonne’s shoulder.“Stop it!” Michonne whispered, “I can’t hear.”“Second place, goes to, Beth Greene!”“I got second?” Beth asked excitedly and looked between Michonne and Maggie, and they both nodded before they started to clap for her, and she walked to get her award. When Michonne looked at Hershel, she saw how proud he was and that Glenn had been filming as the awards were announced. When Beth returned to where they’d been standing she stopped at Carl and hugged him.“Thank you for trusting me with that. Next year, we’ll work in a song.” They laughed together before Beth stood next to Maggie and they both looked at her trophy. The rest of the awards were handed out and slowly the two groups came together. “Congratulations, Carl. Your story was beautiful.” Dawn hugged her grandson and looked up at Rick, “Your grandfather used to tell your dad about the stars. I had forgotten about that.” Judith and Andre had both fallen asleep, but Michonne woke him up so that he could see Beth’s trophy.“Pretty.” He touched it and smiled at her before letting his eyes close again.“Make sure you two get a few snacks for the road.” Michonne motioned to Beth and Carl with her chin toward the snacks and drinks that had been put out and they walked over to the table, having a few people congratulate them on the way.“I need to go say goodbye to Principal Monroe,” Michonne said to the group, “It was really nice meeting you both.” She said to Dawn and smiled at Judith, who hadn’t woken up. She started to walk away and felt Rick fall in step with her.“Thank you.”“Oh, don’t thank me. That was all them.”“No, I mean for earlier. I don’t think I realized that maybe I’ve been gone for a while, too.” He seemed to be considering what he’d said after he said it, and she turned to face him, “Can I get a copy of that video?”“It’ll be up on Beth’s YouTube before bedtime; I’ll send you the link.” She adjusted Andre in her arms. Neither of them moved, unsure what to say but not hurrying to end the conversation.“You coming?” Glenn pointed toward Deanna and Michonne nodded.“Yes, yeah, right behind you.”“Thanks again,” Rick said awkwardly, and Michonne smiled before turning to follow Glenn. When she looked back, he was still there, only looking away when Carl appeared to be offering him a cookie.“So that’s Mrs. Hawthorne?” Dawn asked, smiling as she followed Rick’s eyes.“Miss.” Rick and Carl answered at the same time.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Weeks had passed since the competition, and even though it had been a short time, Rick felt like so much had changed. He could feel Carl watching him, almost waiting for him to have a delayed reaction to what he’d seen performed on stage. When he didn’t get one, it felt like a bridge had been built between them.Carl was still reserved, and Rick knew his son wasn’t always comfortable opening up to him. But lately, their conversations had begun to flow more freely, touching on topics they’d rarely explored before. Carl still grumbled about his math class, but Rick couldn’t help but notice the small victories—no grade lower than a B- since he’d started tutoring. It wasn’t a grand transformation, but it was progress, and Rick clung to that.Since taking on the role of primary caretaker for his children, Rick had often felt like he was stumbling in the dark, never quite sure if he was giving them everything they needed. The weight of responsibility had forced him to confront how little he truly knew about Carl, and it filled him with a quiet regret for the years he’d let slip by, consumed by avoiding other things. But hearing Carl recount a moment when Rick had set aside the chaos and tension to simply be there for him—had struck a chord. It reminded him that even without Lori, he still had a duty to show Carl and Judith, in every way he could, that he was there for them. That he would always take care of them. That he was enough.The realization didn’t erase the past, but it gave Rick a clearer path forward—one where he could focus on being present, not just as a protector but as a father. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he might be able to take on everything that meant.Subject: Volunteers Needed – Shakespeare Kids
Dear Parents,
I hope this email finds you well! As we near the end of our unit on storytelling and performance, we are excited to announce an upcoming field trip to see a Shakespeare Kids performance of Macbeth. This will be a wonderful opportunity for the students to experience live theater and connect what they’ve learned in class to a professional production.
The trip will take place on April 7th. We will travel by bus, which is estimated to take 1.5 hours each way. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, we are seeking four parent volunteers to assist with chaperoning. Volunteers will supervise students on the bus, during the performance, and at the venue.
If you are available and interested in volunteering, please reply to this email by March 20th to let me know. I will provide additional details and guidelines for chaperones once the volunteer list is finalized.
Thank you so much for your support—we couldn’t do this without you! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Michonne Hawthorne
Richardson Secondary
555-123-4567
Subject: Re: Volunteers Needed – Shakespeare Kids
Dear Ms. Hawthorne,
I’m interested in volunteering for the upcoming trip. I don’t know anything about Macbeth, but I guess Carl can fill me in so I don’t embarrass you all.
Best,
Rick Grimes
Subject: Re: Volunteers Needed – Shakespeare Kids
Dear Mr. Grimes,
I’m so glad to hear that you’ll be able to help us out on our trip! I promise there isn’t a quiz after the show, so there’s no pressure to study up 😂.
This is the first time that the school has received funding for a trip like this, so we don’t really have a roadmap, but I’ll have more information for you once I’ve received confirmation from our other volunteers.
Best regards,
Michonne Hawthorne
Richardson Secondary
555-123-4567
“You look nice.” Dawn smiled as Rick came down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. He was wearing jeans and a nice button-down shirt. At his mom’s compliment, his hand slid over the fabric.“It’s just a regular cotton button-down shirt.”“Maybe I’m just used to seeing you in your uniform or a T-shirt.” Dawn smiled at him and pushed more of Judith’s food toward her. “I don’t know why you’re being defensive. There’s nothing wrong with looking nice.” Rick poured himself a cup of coffee and moved his shoulders in the shirt.“I’ve never been on a field trip before, or at least as a responsible adult.”“I mean, they’re in middle school, I think you just need to make sure they’re getting from the bus to the venue. Are you excited to watch the show?” Rick sat down and reached over to the counter to pull off a book.“The story was confusing as hell.” Rick held up the book he’d been looking at, and Dawn smiled as she read Macbeth on the cover, “But it turns out she had them reading Shakespeare for Kids, so I read that one too.”“You read the book?” Dawn asked.“Books. I read both. Last night Carl and I talked about it over dinner. I think I’m going to ask her for the reading list for the rest of the year.” Rick sipped his coffee, “It was nice to be reading the same thing.” Dawn watched as he seemed to fall into his own thoughts, smiling as she enjoyed his perspective, and Rick caught her eye, “What?”“Nothing.” She smiled at him and shook her head as she started to feed Judith another bite, “I’m just happy to give you a heads-up that seeing your kids change and have these new experiences doesn’t ever stop.” They heard fast steps on the stairs and looked over as Carl ran into the kitchen.“You’re not ready?” Carl asked, seeing his dad still drinking his coffee.“You haven’t even eaten breakfast.” Rick looked at the clock on the stove and said, “We don’t have to leave for another 30 minutes.”“We can’t miss the bus. She said it’s leaving at exactly 8:15, no exceptions.” Carl sat down at the table, and Dawn put two breakfast burritos on his plate.“My goodness Jude, it looks like everyone is very excited about this trip. I’m starting to think we should be feeling a little bit left out.” Dawn watched Carl eat his breakfast quickly, his eyes on the clock every few minutes.“Ok, I’m done.” He walked his plate to the sink and then made his best attempt to appear patient as he waited for Rick to stand.“Alright, let’s go. I guess there’s no problem with being early.” They arrived at the school and saw the buses already waiting as kids were dropped off. Michonne was holding a clipboard and standing near two other teachers who would be taking their classes on the trip. Rick had to walk quickly to keep up with Carl as he crossed the street.“Hi, Ms. Hawthorne!” He greeted her, and she smiled before she made a quick checkmark on her list.“Good morning to you both, are you all excited?”“My dad read the book,” Carl said before climbing onto the bus, and Rick felt his cheeks warm.“I guess I just figured, since all the kids had read it – and it was nice, I mean not the book – well the book was fine, but what I mean is that it was nice to understand what Carl was talking about.” Rick felt his eyes go wide, realizing how untethered he sounded when he was speaking to her and she laughed.“Reading the book, even when I told you there wasn’t going to be a quiz. I guess I can see where Carl gets it from.” She smiled and then answered a greeting from another student before looking back at Rick, “If you can sit tight for a minute, I’m waiting for my other volunteers, we’ll have a quick chat before we get on the bus.”Rick was introduced to the other parents, and they all made polite conversation as they waited. After all the kids had arrived and were loaded onto the bus Michonne asked the parents if they had any questions before reminding them it should be a relatively easy day.Their main tasks were to keep an eye on the students they had been assigned to, to make sure they always knew where the closest restroom was, and that everyone was being respectful of other guests during the show. She provided each of them with her phone number and let them know they could get on the bus and they’d be leaving in a few minutes.Rick got on the bus and looked around. There were four open seats and he watched as two of the volunteers who appeared to know each other sat together at the back of the bus, and another father took a seat by himself in the middle. The seat at the front was open, so he took that one, appreciating that he’d be able to easily keep track of the kids he was in charge of getting off the bus.“Mind if I join you?” Michonne asked and Rick scooted over.“Not at all. Did you have a window or aisle preference?”“Aisle will be fine. Not that they take me all that seriously, but in case anything pops up, I should be able to get out easily.” She joked as she sat down and the bus started to move.“Well, between you and I, Carl takes you very seriously. I had to buy a new set of highlighters because you mark different things in different colors when you read books.” Rick smiled at the sound of Michonne’s laugh and remembered how serious Carl was when he was explaining what each of the colors meant when he borrowed his book.“I have to keep that in mind when I say these things to the kids. I hate the idea that people would have needed to spend money on different colors, I could have snuck him a few from the staff supplies.”“I’m glad he did it. One of his highlights was stuff that he wanted to remember, or quotes or something like that. He’s not always the most open with me, so it was cool to see what parts he thought were the most important.” Rick looked over when she didn’t respond and she was watching him, “What?”“Nothing.” She shook her head, and he was reminded of his mother at breakfast, “So, you thought the book was fine?”“I didn’t mean fine; I liked it. Honestly.” He made his best attempt to be convincing, and she chuckled, “Carl really liked all the battle scenes. Having a conversation with my son about fate vs. free will was not something I expected.”“I’m glad that you two discussed that. A lot of times he stays after class to talk about things, I can tell he’s working on his confidence to speak in front of the class during discussion. I’m not allowed to delve too deep into politics in class, but I was really hoping to hear their thoughts on the power and corruption that took place. I just couldn’t get them to hop on it, but then the bell rang and Carl launched right into it.” “Was this last Tuesday?”“Yes!”“That’s hilarious. When Carl came home, he was asking me about what it was like to be a police officer and hold that kind of power. He wondered how cops stay grounded with that power and if I’ve seen officers take advantage of that.” Rick raised his brows remembering how thrown off he’d been when Carl brought it up and Michonne made a face.“I may have used cops as an example.” They both laughed, and their conversation flowed easily. After they talked about the book, she explained some of the differences they may see on stage and then made a quick mention of the two books they had left to read in the semester. Before Rick knew it, the bus was turning, and Michonne had moved to her feet to address the students, reminding them of her expectations and the plan for the day. He was surprised that instead of thinking about the show, he was just hoping that they had the same seats on the ride home. Rick asked his assigned students to wait for him just outside the bus and once he’d gotten off, and made sure each of them was accounted for, he fell in line with Carl as they walked toward the venue.“I think Ms. Hawthorne was pretty impressed with my Macbeth knowledge.” Rick smiled to himself, feeling a bit smug.“Is that what you were talking to her about?” Carl asked.“Yeah, we were just talking about a few of the themes like you mentioned.” Rick looked both ways in the parking lot and waved the group of kids near him forward. He saw Carl make a face from the corner of his eye, “What?”“Nothing,” Carl answered quickly as they moved to stay with the larger group.“What?”“It’s just – Ms. Hawthorne doesn’t really like Shakespeare that much.”“Why wouldn’t you tell me that?”“How was I supposed to know you’d talk to her about the book?” Carl asked, confused.“She’s an English teacher. I figured all English teachers liked Shakespeare.” Rick looked up at Michonne, who was talking to another parent who was volunteering. They appeared to be counting out tickets as they were checking students’ names off the list. Carl walked quickly and Rick pulled at the back of his shirt, “Um, what books does she like?” Carl paused to think and Rick glanced up again, wanting to make sure he didn’t slow them down.“The Ramona books. She loves those.”“Who is Ramona? Is she the author?”“No, she’s, Ramona, I don’t know. We haven’t read them, but she mentioned them once.” Carl saw the last of their group pass them, “Come on, I don’t want to end up with a bad seat.” Rick waved him forward, sensing his impatience, and stood at the back of the crowd as a headcount was taken.The group moved forward, and as they were ushered into their assigned area, Rick found himself getting caught up in his son’s excitement. He hadn’t considered that by participating in an experience like this, he would have the opportunity to have a shared first-time experience.He repeated his headcount a few different times, knowing that if another parent were keeping an eye on Carl, he’d want them to do the same, and when the curtain came up on the show, he was pleasantly surprised at how engaged each of them were. With it being a production geared toward children, it was easy for them to follow and they were doing a great job meeting the expectations that she had set on the bus.It had been arranged that after the show, they would have lunch that had been pre-ordered for them and put in a room on-site. Rick watched as three of the volunteers sat together, but when Carl started talking to him about the show, he opted to sit with him instead.“So, was it better or worse than fine?” Michonne asked, stopping at their table.“I liked it, a lot. I feel like Beth should look into doing something like that.” Carl bit into his sandwich.“I think they have some fun summer programs, so that’s probably a great idea.” She turned to Rick, “What’d you think?”“Nobody back home would believe that I’ve spent the last two weeks reading and watching Shakespeare and that I was enjoying it.” Rick shook his head and laughed and Michonne shrugged.“I think they might. Well, you all enjoy your lunch, we’re back on the bus in an hour. I’m suggesting restroom breaks and a short walk to stretch your legs before the ride.” She walked away from the table, letting her hand rest next to Carl’s tray, and when she moved it, he saw she’d left behind a fun-sized Big Cat candy bar. Carl smiled to himself, reaching for it, and it was clear it made him feel special.Michonne continued her lap around the lunch room, checking in with each group to see how they enjoyed the experience. She knew that Deanna was hoping to get a full recap, and the most important thing was to make sure she properly conveyed that the students had not only enjoyed it but had gotten something from it. She loved hearing them tell her their favorite parts and that most of them had never even been to a theatre like this one before.When she’d been recruited to take the job, her biggest concern was that coming from a large city, she wouldn’t have the resources to create experiences like this one that made her enjoy her work so much more. Deanna had promised that they were working on getting the additional funding and that she wouldn’t regret moving.Most of the students and volunteers had taken her up on her suggestion for how they use their time before their ride back, so when she was one of the first people back on the bus, she wasn’t surprised. The seats started to fill in, and one of the volunteers asked her if she wouldn’t mind discussing the progress she was hoping her daughter would make before the end of the semester to get her grade up. She sat down in the opposite seat, and as the bus pulled out of the parking lot, she saw Rick look back, and she wondered if her face displayed the disappointment she felt. The ride back felt significantly longer than the first trip had. It had been unexpected that she’d be going through completed assignments as well as upcoming work, but she’d always felt strongly that if she had a parent who wanted to talk, especially in an effort to help their child progress, she would listen. When they pulled into the school parking lot, she felt tired, but overhearing her students still discussing the show reminded her how great the trip had been.She stood as the bus slowed and addressed everyone, thanking them for the maturity they showed and making sure they knew how much she appreciated their behavior and their excitement. She climbed off the bus and checked her watch, happy that the trip had lasted all day so that she could quickly check in on her classroom and then leave for the day.“I, um, didn’t get a chance to thank you, again for your help at the competition,” Rick said, lowering his voice so that Carl didn’t hear as he was saying goodbye to one of his classmates. She’d been distracted as he approached her.“Not necessary. I probably could have done a better job preparing you for what was coming. But I am really glad it all worked out. I’m happy you mentioned it, though,” She took a few steps away from the group, and Rick followed, ”I haven’t told the kids because I think I’m just going to let it be a surprise, but an announcement of their placement is going to be in the county newspaper. The school board does an annual report, and because they fundraised the entry fees for the competition, they are seeing it as a victory they should share.”Rick nodded, his hands slipping into his pockets as he followed her a few steps away from the group. “Well, I’m glad it worked out too,” he said, his voice low but earnest. “And honestly, I don’t think you could’ve prepared me any better. It was... unexpected, but in a good way. I didn’t even know he remembered those nights.”“I’m glad he did.” She smiled at him, and then her eyes cut over, and she lifted her hand. When Rick followed her eyes, he saw the school Principal waiting patiently. He shifted slightly as if unsure whether he’d said too much, but his expression remained genuine. “Anyway, I’ll let you go, I don’t want to hold you up. But, uh, if there’s ever anything I can do to help out—with the kids, or whatever—just let me know.”“I’ll do that.” She smiled at him and then turned to walk over to Deanna, glancing back as he called out to Carl so they could head out. “Hello?” Michonne pushed the door open and walked into the house. She heard running as she’d just barely hung her coat.“Mommy!” Andre rounded the corner wearing the biggest smile and a smock covered in paint. She barely had a minute to think before he jumped in her arms, and she accepted the fact that her shirt had just become his latest work of art.“Hi, baby! You were having some fun painting?”“Yes, come see!” She put him down, and he jogged down the hall with Michonne just behind him. They walked into the sunroom, where Maggie had set up two easels for painting and she saw the wild mixture of colors that looked similar to the ones on his smock.“He’s an artist.” Maggie smiled up from her seat and Michonne laughed.“Last week you told me he was an athlete when you took him to the park to play soccer.”“He’s both.” She stood from her seat and yawned as she stretched her arms, “You are an actual superwoman. I don’t know how you keep up with him.” They both smiled fondly as he refocused on his picture, dancing to the music in his head as he held his paintbrush.“I’ve just had a little more practice, and just so we’re clear, he wears me out too.” They both walked out of the room and into the kitchen where they could still have a clear view of him while he was painting and Michonne pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge.“So how was it?” Maggie asked.“It was great. The kids were so well-behaved, the show was good, and we didn’t have any hiccups.” She opened the bottle and took a sip before she leaned against the kitchen counter.“Don’t make me ask.” Maggie tilted her head and Michonne shook hers.“I’m not making you do anything, you could just – not.”“But we both know I won’t do that, so why don’t you just put me out of my misery.”“Why are you SO focused on this?” Michonne let her head fall back and Maggie watched her closely.“Because my best friend’s favorite student has a gorgeous father who bared his soul to her and then volunteered to spend his day on a bus full of rowdy children, and I think that makes me completely justified in wondering how it went.”“I don’t know why you all are so hard on Beth for her theatrics; it’s clearly genetic. Bared his soul? Are you kidding me?”“Come ON. I’m married, I need this kind of intrigue.” “You’re creating intrigue. He’s a nice man with a son who I have really enjoyed having in class. Yes, I was interested in why he seemed so different when I met him in comparison to the person that Carl had written, but that makes more sense now. I mean, based on the limited information that I have.”“Did you at least talk to him?”“I talked to everyone.” Michonne took another sip of water and walked out of the kitchen and back to the sunroom.“But did you TALK to him?” Maggie followed.“If you must know, we sat next to each other on the ride there.”“Next to each other in separate seats or the same seat?” Maggie asked, and Michonne tried to avoid the question, but Maggie’s eyes hadn’t blinked.“Same seat.”“Were there any other seats available?”“Are you kidding me with this?” Michonne asked, and when Maggie shook her head, she gave in, “Yes.”“I KNEW IT!” Maggie yelled, and Andre dropped his paintbrush, shocked by her volume. He picked it up and looked at her before pouting, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” She took the brush from him, circling it in his water cup and handing it back before clapping her hands together, “I knew it.” She said with more control.“You know nothing. He’s a nice man who was a volunteer on a trip for his son. We talked about the books, that’s all.”“Well, now I know you’re full of shit because Glenn tried to talk to you about Hamlet a few weeks ago, and you shut him down immediately. What was it you said again – Shakespeare is a…”“Mommy, will you help me with this part?” Andre looked up and Michonne reached for his brush.“Yes, I would love nothing more than to focus completely on helping you with this part.” Michonne laughed as Maggie crossed her arms, disappointed that she wouldn’t get more information. “Dad, this is the entire thing in one volume.” Carl held up his graphic novel, and Rick looked at it. They’d stopped at a bookstore on the way home so that Carl could pick out a book he’d been wanting as a reward for his good grades. They walked through the bookstore and Rick came to a stop when he saw one of the store associates shelving a book.“Sorry, can I ask you a question?”“Sure.” The associate put the book in place and then waited.“Are you familiar with the Ramona books?” Rick asked, feeling Carl’s head snap up.“Um, do you mean Ramona Quimby?”“Maybe?” Rick stood awkwardly and the girl looked at Carl, hoping he’d have more information.“It’s my teacher’s favorite book,” Carl said, and she couldn’t help but smile at the limited information they’d given.“They were some of my favorite books too. I think that’s probably what you all are talking about. I’ll show you where they are.”“Thanks.” Rick followed behind her, and Carl watched, his eyes squinting as he saw the girl point to a shelf, and his father reached for one, turning it over and reading the back. When he approached them, Rick held it up, “What do you think? Should we read this one?”Carl thought about it and let his eyes lower before he smiled to himself, he lifted his head again and smiled, “Yes. I think we should.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Michonne leaned back against the tree behind her, crossed her arms, and smiled at the man holding the camera in front of her.“One more, standing straight up this time.”She followed his direction and smiled again, getting distracted when she saw movement near one of the trees to her left. They were in the wooded area behind the school, at some point, it had become the designated area to have your teacher’s headshot taken and Michonne had put it off long enough. While they were on school property, they were far enough away that you wouldn’t be easily seen.“Should we try another one by the larger oak?” He pointed over at the tree behind her and she shook her head.“I feel confident I won’t look too different over there,” She smiled as she joked and he laughed, “Thank you Jeff, I know Deanna’s been impatient to get things updated.”“No problem. I’ll send your choices over by the end of the week.” He smiled at her again and started to walk away. She considered following him but instead walked toward the tree she’d had her eye on earlier. When she got there, she saw that Carl was sitting on the ground and reading. He hadn’t heard her approaching and she considered not interrupting, but knowing he was off campus, she felt like she needed to check-in.“What are you reading?” She smiled as he jumped at the sound of her voice and looked relieved when it was her. He turned the book, and her jaw dropped as she saw the cover, “One of my favorites! How on earth did you start reading Ramona the Brave?” She lowered and sat down near him and he shrugged.“It was my Dad’s idea. He um,” He ripped at the grass under his leg and lowered his eyes, “He likes these.” Michonne studied him, her forehead creasing as she nodded.“Are they now?”“I mean, we’re reading them. It was his idea though.”“Right.” She smiled, and he made his best attempt to appear casual until she laughed, “Well, however you got into them, I’m happy for you. They’re fun reads. I’m sure you’re ripping through them.” “They’re better than I expected.”“I’m glad I ran into you. I wanted to see if you’d looked at the list that was sent for the classes that your scholarship money would cover.”“My dad said I can do any of them, since they’re in the summer my grandma can drive me.”“Oh, perfect.”“But I had a question.” He shifted in his seat, and she waited, accustomed to him taking a minute when he needed to ask something, “What if I don’t want to take one of the writing classes?”“Oh, you don’t have to take any of the classes if you don’t want to, but if you decide to take one, you pick whichever one you want. Was there another one that looked good to you?”“They had a robotics class. It’s more money because of the supplies I need, so we have to pay the difference, but my dad says that’s fine, I just didn’t want you to be disappointed if I didn’t do something for writing.”“To be honest with you, building a robot sounds like a lot more fun than writing short stories.” She smiled and was happy to see that he returned it, nerves gone.“I still like writing though. I want to write more stories; I just want to do this, too.”“Andre loves painting, soccer, puzzles, dancing, and I’m sure a hundred other things. This is the time for you to figure all that out. I love that you want to try something new.” Michonne started to stand and wiped a leaf off her pants, “I need to be getting back inside, enjoy your book!”“You’re not going to tell, that I was out here?”“Nah, I’m off duty once I step outside the building, BUT, I will say it’s probably not the best idea for you to be out here when nobody knows where you are.”“But now you know where I am.”“I stumbled upon you, very different.”“What if I just tell you when I’m coming out here?”“You’d have me be an accomplice to you breaking the rules?” Michonne put her hand to her chest and looked around as Carl laughed, “Let’s do this. We will talk to Mr. Rhee about some options that are allowed where you can get some quiet time to read the classics.”“He’s just gonna say I have to eat in the cafeteria.”“Maybe, but we can try. I know the library has a quiet room in the back corner with windows. We can talk to Mrs. Randall about booking it a few times a week for you.”“I didn’t know you could book the room.”“Yep, I mean, we’ll want to make sure you’re not booking it every day – I want to make sure other students can escape for a bit too, but it can be in your rotation.”“Ok.”“You know when I first started here, I only knew Mr. Rhee, and it was hard to get to know people. I had to have some uncomfy moments before I started making friends.”“I have friends back home.” Carl caught himself and corrected, “Or, I did, back where we used to live.”“I’m sure you do, but it might be nice to make a few here too. Can you try something for me?” She asked, and he nodded, “Why don’t you try at least once a week in the cafeteria? If you hate it, we’ll figure something out, but I don’t think you should stop going alltogether. It’s almost the end of the school year, so it won’t be for long.”“Just once a week?”“Just once, and we’ll figure out some other options while you’re doing that.” Carl lifted his hand and held it out to her, “Deal.” Michonne smiled as she extended her hand and shook his before she walked back into the school. Subject: Lunch Experience - Carl Dear Mr. Grimes,I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out regarding Carl and his experience during lunchtime. I spoke with him today and I’d like to work with him to explore some alternative options to ensure he has a positive and enjoyable lunch experience.Here are a few alternatives we can consider:
Library Lunch: Carl is welcome to eat lunch in the library, where it’s quieter and more relaxed. This option is great for students who prefer a calmer atmosphere.
Outdoor Lunch (Weather Permitting): Since Carl enjoys being outside, he can eat at one of the picnic tables in the designated area. I know this was an option that was previously unavailable, but I’ve asked that a cluster of tables be moved to the breezeway so that it’s a more enclosed space. I’ve spoken with our leadership and let them know that fresh air and a change of scenery can make lunchtime more enjoyable.
Classroom Lunch: Carl will be allowed to eat in one of three designated classrooms that are empty during lunch periods, this will require that he clean up after himself and that he respects the borrowed space. I don’t see either of those things being an issue.
I’ve already discussed these with Principal Monroe and Mr. Rhee to receive approval, but I wanted to confirm that you would be fine with these before they were presented to Carl.Please let me know if you have any concerns, or if you have any questions.Best regards,Michonne HawthorneRichardson Secondary555-123-4567 A few minutes after Michonne hit send, her cell phone lit up, and she didn’t recognize the number that was calling, but she rarely ignored calls in case a parent was calling from a number she didn’t recognize, or it was just a number she didn’t have saved for Andre’s daycare.“Hello?”“Ms. Hawthorne?”“This is she.”“Hi, it’s Rick – Rick Grimes, Carl’s dad.” Rick clarified and Michonne smiled at the idea that he felt like he needed to add whose father he was.“Oh, yes, Mr. Grimes, I’m glad you were able to give me a call. I’m guessing you saw my email?”“Rick.”“I’m sorry?”“You can call me Rick.” He let it go quiet before continuing, realizing it had been a clunky start to the conversation, “Yes, I saw the email. I was calling about the email.”“Right, so I think we both know Carl hasn’t been enjoying lunchtime in the cafeteria. I told him if he would try spending at least one lunch period there a week, I would look at other options for the other days. When I met with Mr. Rhee, this is what we were able to come up with. I just always think it’s important to make sure the kids don’t feel like they’re getting anything taken away, so I didn’t want to offer these, and then you’d end up the bad guy.” Rick laughed and Michonne settled back into her seat, smiling at the easy sound.“Well, I appreciate that. I tend to make myself the bad guy without any assistance. The options look great. I’m really happy that these are ok. I had hoped that Carl would be making more friends, but I know that takes time.”“Yeah, and I don’t want to rush him into it. I know Carl moved from one small town to another. Most of these kids have grown up together, so it makes it a little more challenging to fold in. If he ends up enjoying his robotics course, we may want to see about getting a robotics club, and that way it would be an easy way for him to make some friends with similar interests.”“He told you about that?”“The robotics class?”“Yeah. Sorry, was he not supposed to, I –““No, no. I’m glad. Sorry, I think that’s a great idea.”“Good.” Michonne was pleased to hear that he was so open to the suggestions, “Alright, um, so would you like to do the honors of letting Carl know? Or I can talk to him tomorrow. Either way, we’ll set up a time with Mr. Rhee so that we’re all on the same page and he knows he won’t get in trouble.”“I’ll tell him if you’re ok with that. I’d like the chance to talk to him about it.”“Of course, yes, that’s fine. I’m glad we were able to get it worked out.”“Me too.” They both sat, neither one ending the call.“I um, heard you all were reading Beverly Cleary books.” Michonne glanced at the clock, knowing she needed to leave to go pick Andre up soon.“Yeah, it was, uh Carl’s idea.”“Oh?” Michonne covered her mouth to laugh at the way they had both pointed the finger at each other.“It’s been really good though, because I didn’t realize how nice it was to have a neutral topic for us until we read Macbeth.”“Quite the jump in genres you all have made. If you need any other book suggestions, let me know. I can pick a few. There are some great ones about robots and technology. Does Carl have a library card?”“No, we’ve been buying them.”“Well, for those, that’s probably fine. They’ll be a great fit for Judith too, but if you want to plan for the summer, you may want to get one. They have some really fun programs. I think both kids would enjoy them. Andre loves it.”“I’ll do that. Say, do you think –““Oh, I’m so sorry, I’m letting the time get away from me. I have to get out of here so I can go pick my son up, I hate to keep them waiting at the daycare.”“Right. Of course.”“So, you’ll talk to Carl, and him and I will talk to Mr. Rhee tomorrow?”“Yeah, sounds great. Thanks Ms. Hawthorne.”“Michonne.”“What?”“You can call me Michonne. Have a good night.” Carl walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Rick had called up a few minutes earlier to let him know that dinner was ready.“How was school?” Rick asked as he set a plate in front of Carl and spread out some chopped-up chicken for Judith.“It was fine.” Carl pushed the carrots on his plate to the side before he had a bite of chicken. Rick had a habit of watching Carl’s face when they ate, trying to gauge if he enjoyed it or not. “I talked to Ms. Hawthorne today.” Rick said, and Carl let his fork lower to a relaxed position, focusing on his father, “She mentioned she wanted you to be able to eat outside the cafeteria. When Carl didn’t say anything, he continued, “Did something happen? I know you sat outside last time.” He shrugged, feeling shy, “Carl, if we’re looking for options, I’d like to know what’s going on.”“I sit by myself every day. There’s not that many kids in my grade and even fewer in my lunch period. I just sit by myself in the middle of the cafeteria and it feels like everyone is staring at me or something.”“I get that. It hasn’t been easy joining a new squad after all those years in King, that’s for sure. So, you wanted some other options?”“Yeah, I mean, I know they’re going to say no, but it was cool that she said she’d try.”“Well, it looks like she may have been able to convince them.” Rick explained the options that were available and Carl listened, confused as he finished, “So, do any of those sound good?”“Wait, so I only have to do one day in the cafeteria, but other than that, I can eat in the library, or outside, or in one of the classrooms?”“That’s what she said. I have the email if you want to read it. I think she’s going to book time with you this week to make sure your guidance counselor knows.” Rick watched as Carl chewed on another mouthful, and he could see him bouncing in his seat. He hadn’t seen him this excited since he placed in the state competition and sat in the backseat of his car holding his trophy.“That’s really cool.”“She also mentioned that if you like your robotics class this summer, it may be worth looking into doing a club or something. I think she’s concerned that if we do this, you’re going to cut yourself off from meeting people.”“I promise I won’t. Honest, dad. I won’t.”“Ok,” Rick laughed as he started his dinner, “It’s cool that she set it up.”“Casey Stanton left class early a few times at the beginning of the semester. She was fine one minute, and then it kind of seemed like she was freaking out or something and would walk to the front of the class. Ms. Hawthorne took her out in the hall, and a couple of weeks later, she had this special band thing that went under the desk. She explained that it was for her to put her feet on; she was anxious, and it would help with that, I guess. She had more in case anyone else wanted one. A few of the other kids asked for them too. It was pretty cool.” Judith screamed and then laughed, pulling them both out of their thoughts, and Rick gave her some more chicken and carrots.“Well that’s a note I’ve never heard before.”“Can we sign up for the robotics class tomorrow?” Carl asked, and Rick felt a genuine excitement for his son and the fact that he was about to have yet another new experience that he was happy about.“Yeah, we can.” “Hey, so what ended up happening with Carl?”Michonne looked up from her desk to find Deanna walking into her classroom. She lowered into her usual seat at the front of the class and waited patiently.“He’s going to try it out. We’re going to meet with Glenn during his free period and make sure he knows all the expectations, but he seems excited about it.”“Very good.” Deanna nodded and looked around the room. “Thank you for understanding. Feels like a week doesn’t go by recently without me asking you for something.” Michonne smiled as she recounted all the favors she’d needed in the short time she’d been at the school.“Seems to me that every favor you’ve asked for so far has worked out pretty well in our favor.” She turned and looked out the large windows at the side of the classroom, just enjoying the view. Michonne stopped what she had been doing, realizing there was something she’d been wanting to say for a while now.“I’m glad I came here. To Richardson, I mean.”“Me too,” Deanna said casually before looking back at Michonne, “Almost didn’t work out. I thought I was going to have to fire Glenn for telling me how great you were, only to have you turn me down.”“That’s good to know. I owe Glenn a few favors as well, but now I can make sure he knows that I actually saved his job.”“I tell him all the time.” Deanna smiled as she stood and adjusted her skirt. She turned to walk out of the classroom and Michonne called out to her.“I mean it. Thank you.”“For what?”“For believing in me. I don’t think I realized at that time how much I needed that, so thank you.” Michonne felt somewhat shy about what she’d said, but it felt important for her to say at the same time.“Do you remember what I asked you at the end of our interview after you’d graciously turned me down?” She tilted her head, waiting for Michonne’s response.“You asked me what I wanted, and told me I needed to figure it out.”“Feels like we may be getting somewhere with that. Get me the proposal for those clubs you want next year, and we’ll see what we can do.” She turned and walked out of the classroom and Michonne nodded, reminding herself for the hundredth time that she’d made the right decision. A backpack slammed down on the lunch table, and Carl jumped, gripping his bottle of water that he almost knocked over.“I wouldn’t have picked robotics for you,” Beth said as she ripped into her granola bar. When Carl made a confused face, she explained, “I told Michonne that I wanted to sign up for a workshop this summer that had writers and actors and that you should do it too, she mentioned you’re all sciencey now. I mean, what she actually said was that you had already picked your class and that I shouldn’t bully you into switching. So, is it true? Have you abandoned the arts?”“No,” Carl shook his head, “I just wanted to try something different.”“Ok, because I already had my sights set on first place next year in the competition, and I am depending on you. You get my process.” She shoved her empty wrapper in her bag and pulled out her own water bottle as Carl laughed, used to her by now.“Aren’t you worried about getting in trouble for skipping class?”“I’m not skipping class. I am taking a long restroom break, and it’s practically approved since Michonne told me if I’m going to be a truant, I should swing by the cafeteria anyway. She did mention she’d deny it if she was asked, but you know what I mean. So, talk to me about these robots.”Beth leaned in, focused on Carl’s response, and as he started his explanation, he chose his words wisely, knowing she was always just one sentence away from doing something that could potentially draw too much attention to both of them in a crowded room. Halfway through his explanation, he realized that he’d missed talking to her. He didn’t know what it was like to have an older sibling, and with his age gap with Judith, they didn’t exactly have strong communication. He liked having someone near his age that he could talk to, especially someone who went to the same school and had a similar interest. Even if he’d never be as committed as she was. “Maybe it does sound kind of cool.” She shrugged before she started to get up, “Same time next week?”“Yeah, I’ll be here.” “Grimes, what the hell are we doing here? If you want to spend your lunch breaks reading kids books, that’s one thing, but I don’t.”“Not a book guy, then?” Rick asked, holding the door for Abe to grab it.“You’d have better luck trying to pick up a turd by its clean end than finding me with a book in my hand.” Abe looked around the quiet room and Rick made eye contact with the woman at the desk who had just overheard them.“Sorry.” He approached the desk, trying to distance himself from Abe. “I was hoping to sign my son and me up for library cards.” “I can help you with that.” She pulled out two forms and slid them across the counter for Rick to complete. As he was completing his form, he looked over and saw Abe flipping through a book sitting on one of the tables and smiled.“Do you have programs for babies as well? My daughter is 14 months.”“Yes, we have some really great lap sit programs. We do a story hour just for them once a week, and we also have an hour just for music with instruments and singing, and sometimes some interactive play.” She pulled a flyer from a neat stack next to the computer and swapped it for the form he had completed. Rick scanned the list and cleared his throat.“You have some stuff here that looks like it would be good for kids 6-10, right?”“I like to think we have a little something for everyone. Is your son between 6 and 10?” She asked and Rick heard the heavy book Abe had been looking at, get slammed down.“No, he’s not.” Abe approached the desk, “Are we almost done here?”“I’m working on issuing the cards now.” She answered and Rick pulled Abe away by his elbow.“Hey, it should be enough that you’re in uniform for you not to be shitty to her, but since I’m planning on bringing my kids here, maybe you could just not be a dick.”“Exactly.”“Exactly, what?” Rick looked at him, confused.“You’re bringing your kids here, so what the fuck are you doing asking about mine?”“I just thought-““Well, you thought wrong. I’m not you. I don’t talk about books and gum drops with my kids and I don’t need you shoving that in my face.”“I’m not!” Rick looked around, realizing he’d gotten louder and lowered his voice, “I’m not. I just thought –“ He shrugged and took a deep breath before he let his hands rest on his belt, “Look, up until a few months ago I was having awkward dinners with my kid where he kept his eyes on his plate and I was just happy to not be fighting in front of him. I don’t know what happened between you and your kids, but I know what the other side can start to look like and it’s worth it.”“You’ve got 10 minutes and then it’s taillights.” Abe walked toward the front door and Rick watched him go before he turned to give an awkward smile to the woman at the desk who was holding up his library cards. He took them and said thank-you before pulling his phone out and grabbing another sheet from one of the organized stacks of paper.
Rick
Thanks for the library card suggestion.Sounds like they have some great programs for Judith too.
Michonne
They do!For a small library, they still manage to go above and beyond.I'm always so impressed about what they're able to pull off.
Rick
Did Andre ever do the music circle thing?I feel like Judith would enjoy that.
Michonne
He loved it.A menace with the triangle.Rick smiled to himself before putting his phone back in his pocket. When he opened his door, Abe started the car and rolled his eyes, “Just give it to me.” Rick chuckled before handing over the blank library card request form and putting his seatbelt on.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“No, her name is Spensa.”“Oh, I thought you said Spencer. Why are you all always reading books about dames?”“My kid picked it out from a list of books that his teacher gave him, and I doubt he cared about the sex of the main character. Anyway, so she’s –““This is the teacher you’re always emailing?” Abraham takes a left and glances over at Rick.“I am not ALWAYS emailing her? She’s Carl’s teacher, it’s normal.”“Then why the hell are you smiling like that?” Abe laughed and Rick shoved his shoulder."Why don’t you stop looking at me and keep your eyes on the road?” Their conversation about Rick’s latest read was interrupted when they heard a chirp on the radio and had to reroute as they received details about an armed robbery that was in progress at a convenience store that was only a few blocks away.When they arrived, the scene seemed calm, and they had a quick conversation about the game plan with the limited details they had before they hopped out of the car. As soon as they were within 10 feet of the entrance, two men ran out of the store. Without pause, Rick, Abe, and both armed men raised their guns at the same time.“Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air,” Rick said, his eyes scanning the two men.“You first.” One of the masked men replied and Rick watched Abe’s arm flinch from the corner of his eye.“This is your last warning,” Rick called out, “Drop your weapons and let’s resolve this peacefully!”The masked men hesitated, and Rick saw one of them start to lower his gun before lifting it again, “What do you want to do? They’re not gonna listen.” Abe said through gritted teeth so that only Rick could hear him.“We’re walking out of here, back off or we start shooting!” One of the men yelled, clearly uneasy that he saw that Rick and Abe were talking.“You don’t want to do this. It doesn’t have to end this way!” Rick called out; he could tell everyone was getting more uncomfortable as time ticked by. “Enough of this bullshit!” Abe said before firing a warning shot into the sky, “Next one is between the eyes.” The gunshot startled the men, one of them dropping his gun and putting his arms up immediately, the other turning to point his gun at Abe. Before his finger could move, he hit the ground gripping his arm as the bullet ripped through flesh, and Abe looked at Rick with gratitude.They lowered their guns to a more relaxed position and cautiously stepped forward, their eyes locked on the two men in front of them. One clutched his arm, cursing in pain, while the other stared wide-eyed, clearly terrified of what might happen next. Suddenly, the front door of the convenience store swung open, triggering the electronic chime. In the same instant, a gunshot rang out. Rick collapsed to the ground just as the shooter did, taken out by Abraham’s shot. Abe called out to Rick, but he couldn’t take his eyes—or his gun—off the three men. Not until backup arrived.“Rick, you hear me?” He kept his eyes on all three of the suspects but called out again, “Rick?” He heard a pained groan and saw Rick turn himself over as he called in for more back-up and let them know they’d need an ambulance. He heard the pleading in his own voice when he told them to hurry. It was two minutes before three patrol cars pulled into the parking lot and Abe was able to lower his weapon and go to Rick.“I’m here Rick, you stay with me, do you hear me? You’re gonna be ok.” Abe pulled his shirt off and put it on Rick’s shoulder before he pressed down on the wound, causing Rick to wince and cry out in pain. His breathing was getting shallow and he was pale.“Listen, Abe, if – I need you to tell my kids…”“Shut the fuck up, I’m not telling your kids anything. You stay with me Rick!”“Abraham! Listen –““I’m not listening. The ambulance is on the way. They’re going to fix you up and you’re gonna be alright. I’ll even make you a fuckin’ deal. You pull through, I’ll take my kids to whatever story hour you want, you hear me?” Rick’s eyes were wide and Abe was concerned about the distant look in his eyes, “Rick!” Michonne looked at her classroom door, surprised as Glenn poked his head in and waved her over. She had been sitting on her desk listening to two of her students read their final projects. After proofing their draft, she knew they only had a paragraph to go, so she climbed off slowly, not wanting to interrupt. She listened as she inched closer to the door. When they finished, she joined in clapping with her students.“Thank you, Joey and Sylvia! That was amazing. Everyone, start to pack up. Great work today.” She turned to Glenn, realizing now that she was closer, that he looked concerned, “What’s up?”“Have you seen Carl?” he asked, glancing around the classroom. Michonne looked confused.“He doesn’t have my class today, what’s going on?” She asked and Glenn pulled her out of the room, letting the door close behind her.“Front office got a call that he needed to be picked up, family emergency I guess.” Michonne bit her lip, wanting to let him finish before she asked any questions, “We called his class and told them that he needed to come to the office immediately, but 20 minutes later he still wasn’t there. When we called back, she said he left, but he just never showed up. I thought you might have an idea of where he’d go.”Michonne looked off and then back up at Glenn, “I might. Can you watch my –““Yes, of course. His grandmother will be here in a few minutes and whatever is happening, if her grandson is missing it’s not going to help anything.” He put his hand on the door handle and started to push it open and Michonne took a few steps before turning around.“Wait, what’s the family emergency?”“We don’t know.” He raised his shoulders and his head gave a small shake before she nodded and started to jog down the hall. They were both aware that if it was his grandmother coming to pick him up, it was something to do with his father or his sister. She took a left turn, avoiding the front office, not wanting to run into anyone, she’d prefer not to give away his hiding spot if she didn’t have to. She pushed open the back door and thought about how she would have worn better shoes if she’d known she would be running through the woods today.As she went deeper into the trees, she saw the tree Carl had been leaning up against before and let out a breath when she saw his shoulder just behind it. This time when she approached, he wasn’t reading a book, he was staring off and didn’t seem surprised by her arrival.“Carl?” Michonne took a step closer, her voice soft but firm. When he didn’t respond, she knelt down to meet his gaze. “Carl, everyone’s looking for you. We need to get you back to the front office.” He remained silent, his eyes distant, leaving Michonne unsure of how to proceed. Pulling out her phone, she quickly texted Glenn to let him know she’d found Carl but was still trying to figure out what was wrong. As soon as she saw the message had been read, she slipped her phone back into her pocket, not ready to answer any follow-up questions—mostly because she didn’t have any answers to give.She knew everyone was waiting, but it was clear he was here for a reason and she didn’t want to rush him. She sat down, leaning against the same tree and looked off in the same direction he was. Two minutes later she heard him swallow.“My dad is dead.” Carl lowered his head and Michonne looked at him, shocked by what he’d just said.“What? Did they tell you that?”“No,” he shook his head, “But I know it. This is what happened when my mom died. I was at school and in the middle of the day they said I had to leave, that someone was going to come to pick me up. When Daryl showed up, he said he didn’t know what was going on, just that he had to take me to the hospital because my dad said so.”“Carl, we don’t know that’s what’s happening. I think we should go see your grandmother and find out what’s going on.”“I don’t wanna know.”Michonne realized for the first time that her heart was racing. She had no idea if Carl was correct, but she’d been a teacher long enough to know that if a student was being removed from school, it was serious and it was unlikely that it was Judith if his grandmother was coming to pick him up since she would have been the one with her when something happened.“So, what’s your plan?” She asked him gently, “You stay out here forever?”“Maybe.”“I think we both know that’s not gonna work. Listen,” she turned toward him and crossed her legs, taking his hands, and when he looked at her, she saw the tear tracks on his face, “If you’re right, that what you think happened, has happened, we can come back out here and sit for as long as you want. We can avoid dealing with it for as long as you want. But for now, I don’t think it’s fair to you to feel these feelings if you don’t need to.”“But what if I know it?”“Carl, you are a brilliant young man, and one of my favorite people, but you forget that I grade your homework, I know you’ve been wrong before. I think that we should believe he’s ok for now.” She held off on smiling until she saw the corners of his mouth fight to stay in place and then she moved to her feet and extended her hand. She flashed back to the deal they’d made about lunch as he reached for it and stood next to her.“You promise we can come back?”“I promise, but I’m hoping we won’t have to.” She blinked quickly, terrified at the idea that he could be right. When they walked into the main office, Dawn jumped to her feet from where it looked like she had been seated, her hand on Judith’s car seat, “Carl, my goodness, where were you?” She walked over and hugged him before looking at Michonne, “Thank you.”“Oh, no need to thank me, the walk just took a little longer than expected.” Michonne offered her a gentle smile and Dawn nodded in understanding before looking back at Carl.“We need to go, ok?”“Wait, what’s going on?” Carl asked, his body tensing.“I’m afraid I’m not completely sure sweetheart.” She lowered her voice and leaned in, “I received a call from your father’s partner that we needed to make our way to the hospital, but I don’t know anything else, and I won’t until we get there.” Carl looked over at Michonne, who struggled to know what to say. She reached for a pen and paper at the desk and wrote quickly before handing it to Carl.“I need you to believe a little bit longer, ok?” She swallowed and nodded when he did. When she stood, she looked at Dawn, “I gave him my number in case you all need anything.”“Thank you, that’s very kind of you.” It was clear she was flustered as she pulled Judith’s car seat from the chair and started to walk out. Carl walked slowly and Michonne tried to keep a confident smile on her face as he looked back at her before he walked out of the office. As soon as he was out of sight, she rested her hand on the counter, leaning against it, and put her other hand to her mouth. They rushed through the sliding doors and Carl looked around. Even if it was a different hospital, it had the same feeling as the one before and he knew he didn’t want to be there.“We’re here for Richard Grimes,” Dawn said, and handed Judith to Carl. He was grateful to have something to keep his hands busy and Judith smiled at him, having no idea where they were, or why, and he felt jealous.“Yes, I’ll call the doctor for you. Please have a seat.”“Is my son, ok?” Dawn asked.“The doctor will be right out.” The nurse said apologetically and picked up the phone. Carl lowered into the closest chair with Judith on his lap and looked around the quiet waiting area.“Mrs. Grimes?” An older man approached them and Carl looked up, squeezing Judith a little tighter and swallowing.“Yes, I’m Rick’s mother. Please tell me how he’s doing.”“Your son is a very lucky man. The bullet passed through without hitting any major arteries, nerves, or bones.”“He was shot?” Dawn put her hand to her chest and her mouth sat open.“Yes, this afternoon, but from everything we’ve seen, he should be just fine.” As the doctor finished his sentence, Carl stood, putting Judith on his hip.“My dad’s, ok?”The doctor turned and addressed Carl for the first time with a soft smile, “We’re going to continue to monitor him, and we’ll need him to stay for at least the next few days, but we don’t expect any complications to arise.”“Can we see him?” Dawn asked.“Not yet, we’re finishing up, but we’ll let you know as soon as he can have visitors. It shouldn’t be too much longer.” The doctor paused, seemingly waiting to see if there were any other questions, and then he started to walk away.“So, Dad’s, ok?” Carl asked his grandmother and she nodded, a bit overcome with relief as she hugged him. Dawn walked into the small hospital room and Rick tried to sit up, turning his head instead to try to get a glimpse. She was holding Judith, who made an excited squeal when she saw him, and reached her arms out to be held.“Where’s Carl?” Rick asked his mom and she looked back and waited patiently as Carl poked his head around the doorframe. After a few seconds, he took a step in and felt shocked when he saw his father smiling back at him. Without thinking he rushed toward the bed, wrapping his arms around his dad and Rick did his best to muffle the cry he let out at the pain from the hug.“Carl!” Dawn reached her hand out and Rick spoke quickly.“It’s ok, he’s ok.” Rick wrapped his good arm around his son and let him hold on, already knowing how scary the entire ordeal must have been for him. When Carl pulled away, he wiped his eyes and then his nose.“Grandma, can I use your phone?” Carl sniffled after his question.“Of course, sweetheart.” She put Judith down, pulled her phone out and handed it to him. Carl took it and thanked her before looking at his dad.“I’ll be right back, I have to call Ms. Hawthorne,” he started walking before he finished, “I told her that you were dead.”“You what?!” Rick yelled after him, but Carl didn’t turn around. He looked up at his mother with a mix of shock and confusion.“He um, ran away I guess, after they called him. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know that much, just that you were in the hospital and I think they were taking you into surgery when they notified me. You were still unconscious. Anyways, she went and found him.”“Damn I can’t imagine what he must have been thinking after – ““We don’t have to talk about that now.” Dawn interrupted, patting him on the shoulder. Rick smiled at her, thinking about all the times he’d avoided talking through things over the years, but he knew that even if he wanted to talk about it, perhaps his mother had been through enough for the day so he let it go. Michonne lunged for her phone when she saw the screen light up on her desk, “Hello?”“Ms. Hawthorne?”“Carl, yes, it’s me, is everything ok?”“Mmhmm, you were right, I was wrong. He’s ok. I mean, he did get shot. But he’s ok.”“That’s still pretty scary, how are you doing?”“I’m ok, I saw him and that made me feel better.”
“Oh,” She heard the relief in her voice as she made the relieved sound, “I’m so glad. Thank you for keeping me in the loop, I was really worried about you all. I don’t want to keep you though, I’m sure your dad is eager to see you.”“Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that you knew I was wrong. In case you had plans or something, we wouldn’t have to go back to the woods.” Carl said casually and Michonne covered her mouth to quiet her chuckle and her eyes watered at the thoughtful gesture about something so serious.“I appreciate that. Will you tell your grandmother that if she needs anything, she should let me know, and your dad that I’m glad he’s ok?”“Yeah, hold on.”Michonne heard his quick steps on the floor and called out, “Carl? Carl, I didn’t mean right now. Carl!” She could hear his muffled voice and then a throat clearing.“Hello?”“Rick?”“Michonne, hi.”“I am so sorry, I told Carl to tell you that and I didn’t know he’d do it now.”“No, I’m glad he did. How are you doing?”“You’re asking me how I’m doing while you’re sitting in the hospital after getting shot?” Michonne laughed.“It’s the polite thing to do.”“Well, I am sitting in my classroom, doing some last-minute cleaning and I’m really glad you’re ok.”“Me too.” He hadn’t meant for it to sound as earnest as it did, but he knew how close he’d come to Carl being right.“I’m gonna to let you get back to your family. But will you let me know if you need anything? I talked to Principal Monroe, I think she’s going to email you and Dawn. Since tomorrow is the last day of school, Carl doesn’t need to come, I mean, unless he wanted to, but I doubt it.”“Thank you, I don’t imagine he’d want to go, but I’ll give him the choice.”“Ok, get some rest.”“I’ll do that.” Rick smiled as he hung up the phone and handed it to his mother, who was watching him closely, “What?”“Nothing.” She put her phone in her purse and chuckled to herself, “Are you hungry?” Rick shook his head, his eyelids getting heavy.“I think the painkillers might be getting to me.”“Ok, well I think I’ll take the kids to grab something. Carl, come on, we’ll come right back.” Dawn held out her arm and he looked back at Rick one more time before they walked out of the room. Rick’s forehead creased as he heard heavy boots on the hospital floor. When he turned, he saw Abe approach his bed and smile, exhausted as he watched him cross his arms.“Still kickin’, huh? It figures you’d be harder to kill than expected.”Rick grimaced as he laid back against his pillow, “I guess it’ll take more than a bullet.”Abe snorted and pulled a chair over, his body going down heavy, “Yeah, well, I think you should avoid making a habit of it. You scared the hell out of me back there.”“Scared the hell out of me too.” Rick chuckled, causing him to wince in pain and his hand lifted to rest on the bandaged area.“So how is it? Doc said you’re going to be back to 100%?”“Said it’ll take time,” Rick cleared his throat and it was unclear if he was trying to stay awake or covering the pain, “Just gotta take things slow.”“I’ll let you get some sleep. I’m gonna sound the horn that you’re alright. Boys’ll come by over the next few days.” He stood and put his hand on Rick’s shoulder, helping him get more comfortable in bed, and turned to walk out of the room.“Don’t forget your promise,” Rick said, barely louder than a whisper, and Abe froze and looked back, smiling because he hadn’t been sure that Rick had heard him.“I won’t.” Michonne walked into the hospital holding a vase with flowers and balloons in one hand and gripping Andre’s hand with her other one. She walked confidently through the halls, having visited people there before and armed with Rick’s room number because Hershel had contacted a friend at the hospital to get it for her. When she arrived at the room number she’d been given, she knocked softly and smiled when Carl’s face popped out from behind the curtain.He was visibly excited when he saw her, and when Andre and Michonne walked deeper into the room, they saw that Rick was asleep in his hospital bed.“Hope you feel better!” Andre said loudly and held up the bag he was holding to Carl. Michonne let go of his hand and covered his mouth, shushing him in hopes that Rick wouldn’t wake up. She placed the flowers on the nearest table and waved the boys out into the hall.“Sorry,” she made a face and let Andre go, “We wanted to make sure we were coming by during visiting hours. I spoke with your grandmother and she mentioned that you were here by yourself so we felt like it might be a good time to check in. How are you?”“I’m ok. My Dad has been asleep for the last hour. But they think he might be able to go home tomorrow or the next day.”“That’s good.”“Mommy, can we go play on the playground?” Andre asked, tugging on the bottom of Michonne’s sweatshirt.“Not yet baby.” Michonne made a face at Carl, “Sorry, someone is feeling a bit restless this morning.”“I know how he feels.” Carl said, nodding down at Andre, “I can take you down to the playground if you want.” He looked up at Michonne, “I’ve been sitting all morning.” She hesitated and looked between the boys, “You can see it from the window in there. I know because my grandma let me take Judith yesterday.”“What do you think Andre? You want to go to the playground with Carl?” Michonne asked and Andre bounced up and down while he nodded, “Alright, straight there and back. No detours.” She looked at the watch on his wrist, “Back up here in 30 minutes.” She lowered to adjust Andre’s shirt, “Are you going to be on your best behavior for Carl?”“Yes mommy!” Andre replied as Carl extended his hand and Michonne smiled as he took it and they started to walk down the hall.“30 minutes Carl!” She reminded him and he turned to give her a thumbs up. She laughed when she saw Andre mimic the hand motion and Carl smiled down at him. Michonne walked back into the room and moved to the window to confirm the clear view of the park and was happy to see it was unoccupied and fenced in. She looked at Rick, who was still asleep, and then sat down in a chair that would still allow her to see the playground, and pulled her phone out. She spent the next 10 minutes answering final emails she’d received from parents and providing updates on questions she’d received from administration.“Tell me this isn’t a dream,”Michonne jumped at the sound of a voice in an otherwise quiet room and looked over to see Rick blinking his eyes open, he let out a soft groan as he sat up, inching back to lean against his pillow, “I think you may have your answer.” She moved to her feet and adjusted his pillows, “Did you need anything? Should I call a nurse or something?” Rick raised his hand and shook his head.“No no, I’m fine. I think. Still trying to sort out what’s happening right now.” Rick wiped his eyes and Michonne laughed.“I messaged your mom earlier today to find out when would be a good time to come by and this was the time she suggested. I guess Judith has been sick, so she was thinking giving Carl some company would be good.” When he looked around the room, she pointed to the window and walked back over to it, “They’re outside, Carl offered to take Andre to the park. Andre is pushing him on the swings.” She smiled, getting a bit distracted as she watched both children laughing before looking back at Rick who was watching her, “So, how are you?”“They’re saying I’m on the mend. I might be going a little stir crazy in this room. Meds are making me a little loopy.”“Like thinking you might be dreaming?”“Sure, let’s go with that.” He smiled, “Hoping to get the hell out of here tomorrow or the next day.” He relaxed his shoulders, she watched his eyes move to the right, “You brought me flowers?”“Andre picked them out. I never would have picked thistles for you, but he felt strongly about it.” She looked at the bouquet, proud of his decision.“I’ve never gotten flowers before.”“Well, I’ve never visited anyone who was shot before, so we’re all having new experiences today.” She joked and he laughed, gripping his shoulder when he laughed too hard.“My mom told me about Carl, how you brought him back. I wanted to thank you for doing that. I know he told you that I – ““Right.” She interrupted, not wanting to make him say it and realizing she didn’t want to think about the possibility of that either.“Did he tell you why he thought that?”“He mentioned getting pulled out of class when his mom – “ she watched his eyes lower and stopped, “He really didn’t give me any details and we don’t have to talk about it.”“Is it crazy if I say I might want to?” Rick asked and Michonne shook her head. They smiled at each other, remembering the stories they’d already shared, “I think I told you that our communication wasn’t great. Or, I guess Carl handled sharing that part. I thought I was doing what was best for both of us, avoiding a fight. I know it sounds silly now, but I felt like if I just ignored the issues, they’d resolve themselves.”“I know a little something about that.”“So, you also know it doesn’t work that way?” Rick chuckled and Michonne nodded, “She still needed someone to talk to – someone who could be there for her in ways I was avoiding and at some point, she realized that it wouldn’t be me.” Michonne glanced out the window to check on the boys, happy to be able to look away as she realized what he meant.“I don’t know how long they’d been together. When I think about it now, I wish they’d been less careful. I wish I’d found out sooner. I wasn’t going to end it. It’s crazy to think about now, but I was going to let it continue, the way things were. It would have if he hadn’t – “ He paused and Michonne hadn’t realized how into the story she was.“He hadn’t, what? Wait, and who is he?” She bit her bottom lip, realizing she was speaking to him the same way she’d be critiquing a story that one of her students was telling her, “Sorry, take your time.” He shook his head, telling her she didn’t need to apologize.“He was my best friend.” Rick paused, and it was clear he was remembering, even pausing to smile, “Shane and I grew up together and then spent every single day together as partners on the force. He saved my ass so many times I lost count. Carl called him Uncle Shane. Imagine my surprise when I got the call that Uncle Shane had shot my wife.” He swallowed as he looked at Michonne, whose lips had parted, she was clearly shocked by what he’d said, and he was in pain telling it.“Is he…?”“No, he um, he shot himself after he shot her. When I got to the hospital, they told me that the two of them had been found in a hotel room. I couldn’t make sense of the story until I got her phone. There were hundreds of texts between the two of them. She was trying to end it and he was telling her that he’d be a better man for her, that he would fight for her. I can’t for the life of me sit here and say he was wrong.”“He was wrong,” Michonne said confidently, “I don’t know either of them, but I do know whoever he thought he was for her, the better man wouldn’t have done that.” “Judith never got to meet Lori. Within a couple of hours, I’d lost my wife, my best friend, and they just kept asking me to pick a name for my daughter.” They sat quietly, Rick appeared to be trying to muffle the emotion and Michonne let the silence linger until he looked at her again.“Carl is really proud of the fact that he named Judith.”“He told you that?” Rick asked, and Michonne nodded, “I was thinking I was gonna blame the drugs for dropping all of this on you, but since my son is doing it too, perhaps it’s just genetic.”“Perhaps.” Michonne smiled and they both looked toward the door when they heard footsteps. Michonne looked down at her watch and then up at Carl, “Right on time.”“Did you guys have fun?” Rick asked, taking a deep breath and putting on a smile for the boys.“Yes! We had so much fun, they have swings and the slide is bigger than the one I go to and, oh – “ Andre looked at Rick as though he was seeing him for the first time and grabbed the bag he’d been carrying earlier and held it up to Rick on his bed, “Hope you feel better!”“Is this for me?” Rick asked, taking the canvas tote bag as Andre nodded excitedly. He reached up on one of the bars on the side of the bed and pulled himself, resting his knee on the edge.“Andre Anthony!” Michonne stood to reach for him and Rick put his hand up as he put his hand on Andre’s back in case he slipped.“He’s ok. Let me just scoot over.” Rick made space for him in the bed next to him, adjusting the tubes to help monitor him as Andre pulled the bag into his lap and opened it.“He doesn’t get to open his own gift?” Michonne asked.“I’m just helping,” Andre said and Carl laughed. He opened the bag as wide as possible and reached his arm in to pull out a folded piece of paper, “I drawed this for you.”“You drew that for him.”“I drew this for you.” Andre smiled proudly as Rick opened the paper to see different shapes circling what looked like two stick figures that he assumed were Michonne and Andre.“That’s very good.”“Thank you.” Andre opened the bag again and Rick held the picture up for Carl to see before he leaned it against the lamp on his bedside table, adjusting it when it fell closed to make sure it stood up, “This one is too hard for me, but mommy said you were old enough.” He handed Rick a small box puzzle that was a picture of a lake in a forest.“I might be old enough, but you may be better at puzzles than I am. I’ll do my best though.”“This doesn’t have any pictures.” Andre handed Rick a book and he flipped it over.“Wait, that one is for Carl.” Michonne pulled the book out of Rick’s hand and handed it to Carl before digging in the bag and pulling out a second book to hand to Rick.“Mommy,” Andre pouted.“I’m sorry baby, I was just helping.” Michonne moved back to her seat as Andre stuck his hand back in the bag.“The Fury?” Rick held the book up.“Man gets powers after he gets shot. It’s not a favorite for me, but topical and timely. Might be a bit too old for Carl, so he got Blood at the Root, which I think you would also like. There’s a board book in there for Judith and a book for your mom, I know they’ve probably both been very helpful too, so I didn’t want to leave them out.”“Thank you!” Carl opened his book and read the inside cover, smiling. She leaned back in her chair, smiling to herself, as Rick read the back of his book to Andre and Carl started reading his.“Mr. Grimes, it’s time for your – Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had company.” The nurse looked around the full room, walking over to make notes.“Hey Nance.” Rick greeted her as he flipped the book back over.“Good afternoon Mr. Grimes.” She accidentally bumped the table as she was trying to make more space, and when Andre’s picture folded again, Rick made a face, and pulled it off the table and slipped it into his book for safe keeping.“I’m sorry, we can get out of your way.” Michonne stood and lifted Andre off the bed and held him.“You have to?” Carl asked.“We should. This one is ready for his nap,” Michonne adjusted Andre, and they saw his eyelids getting heavy.“I should be home by Friday, right?” Rick asked the nurse who rolled her eyes, making it obvious this wasn’t the first time she’d been asked this question.“We’re hoping we’ll be able to release you tomorrow, but that will depend on our final tests.”“Any interest in helping me out with my puzzle on Friday?” Rick asked and Andre rested his head against Michonne but smiled and nodded in response, “What do you think?” He asked her, “Mom was going to cook, just a small welcome home dinner. I’d love it if you two would join.” Carl smiled as he listened to his father make the offer.“We’d love to.” She softly shook Andre in her arms. “Say goodbye for now.” Andre waved, and Rick and Carl said their goodbyes before they walked out of the room. Rick leaned forward in his bed to make sure they were gone and then looked at Carl.“Two things. First thing, you need to convince your grandmother to have a small welcome home dinner,” he turned to look at the nurse who was readjusting his tubes, “and Nance, I gotta be out of here tomorrow.”“Mr. Grimes, this is a hospital. We keep you here until you are cleared to go home. We can’t have you cleared just because you have a crush –““I –““That being said, I’ll see what I can do.”
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“Rick, please sit down!” Dawn yelled as she watched her son start to unload the dishwasher.“My legs are fine.” Rick placed a glass on the counter and then scooted over to the kitchen table as his mother came closer, “I’ve been sitting around for days, nobody said I wasn’t allowed to stand.”“Sitting around? You were shot. You haven’t been sitting around, you’ve been recovering – you’re still recovering, which I can’t even believe I have to remind you of.”“We’re almost out of ink for the printer.” Carl walked into the kitchen holding a stack of papers and placed them on the counter before looking around, “They’re not here yet?”“Not yet. Why don’t you go to the garage and pull that chair in for me? We need one more at this table. Make sure you give it a good cleaning before you bring it in.” Dawn handed Carl a cleaning spray and a towel, and he walked past her to the garage. She filled the glass that Rick had pulled out with water and placed it in front of him, “Are you nervous?”“Why would I be nervous?” He lifted the glass, drank half of it, and put it back on the table. “A little bit.”“Well, I don’t think you have anything to be worried about. Glenn Kinney’s son locked his new girlfriend out of the house last winter. Terrible timing too because it was the tree lighting and so none of the neighbors were home. Her toe has been giving her issues ever since.” Dawn stirred the pot on the stove and Rick’s eyes went wide.“What the hell am I supposed to do with that?”“I just meant that you already know Carl likes her, so that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about.” She tapped the spoon twice on the edge and placed it on the counter.“Carl thinks she hung the stars. I’m just hoping to get through dinner not looking like an idiot in front of her.”“Pretty sure if she thought you were an idiot she wouldn’t be coming over for dinner.” She pulled the oven open and peeked inside before closing it again, “It’s nice seeing you like this.”“Wounded?”“Smitten. That’s not something I can say I’ve seen before.” She smiled and they both looked at the front door when they heard the doorbell. Carl came back into the house holding the clean chair and placed it in the kitchen.“I’ll get it.”Rick stood up, attempting to muffle the sound that came from him, making it obvious he was still in pain. When he felt his mom look at him, he smiled at her and followed Carl to the front door. By the time he caught up, the door was wide open and Andre was telling Carl about the dog they saw on the ride over.“He was bigger than me! Maybe bigger than you!” Andre held his hand up as he attempted to show the size and Michonne curled her lips to avoid laughing, she was surprised when she saw Rick standing in the hall.“You’re up?”“He’s not supposed to be, he’s just hard-headed.” Dawn walked between Carl and Rick and held her hand out to Michonne who was holding a bag.“I didn’t want to show up empty-handed. I asked Lynne at Butter & Bliss if she knew what you might like and she said I should go with the focaccia.”“It’s perfect. That’s so sweet of you.” Dawn pulled the bag closer, “Please, both of you come in, let’s all get out of the hallway.”“Are you all better?” Andre leaned back to look up at Rick.“Just about,” Rick answered and Dawn rolled her eyes as she led them into the living room.“That’s the puzzle we got you!” Andre said and walked over to the table. He lifted to his toes to see the box, and Dawn helped him onto one of the chairs.“We figured this would be a good place to get it started. Rick, why don’t you come sit here until dinner is ready.” She looked over at him, who was standing in the living room with Michonne and he walked over to the table, “Can I get either of you something to drink?” Her eyes went between Michonne and Andre as Rick sat down.“Water would be great. Did you need any help?”“No no, you sit. Carl has been a fantastic sous chef.” Dawn put her hand on Carl’s shoulder and he looked ready to complain before Rick made a face to cut him off.“Ms. Hawthorne?” Carl started, before he was pulled into the kitchen and Michonne looked over at him.“School’s out kiddo, why don’t we go with Michonne now?”“Oh, that’s weird.” He noted, his question forgotten.“Well, if you’ll be uncomfortable you don’t have to.” She joked and he lifted his chin as he thought about it.“No, I think it’s fine. Michonne. Michonne. Mich-““Carl, I think you can practice as you help me set the table. Go grab Judith from her crib and she can help us get the table ready for our guests.” Dawn guided him to the kitchen, and Rick felt Andre’s small hand tap his.“Can we open it?” He pointed to the puzzle sitting between them.“Yes. Of course, we can open it.” Rick reached for the puzzle, winced, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he sat back in his chair and Michonne pulled the puzzle from his hand.“It would figure you’re a bad patient.” She opened the box and dumped the pieces between Rick and Andre.“Like this Mommy?” Andre started to separate the pieces, putting the ones that had a straight edge in one pile and the ones that didn’t, in another.“That’s a good place to start, Peanut.”“I’m not a bad patient.” Rick mimicked Andre’s actions, separating pieces and Michonne laughed before lowering her voice.“That’s not the vibe I’m getting from your mom.”“Well, that’s what moms do, they worry. Am I right?” Rick elbowed Andre who looked up at him, confused, “Mom’s worry?” He nodded, guiding his response and Andre nodded in return.“Yes.” He answered quickly before getting back to sorting his pieces. Rick started to laugh and Michonne rolled her eyes and shook her head before smiling.“That’s probably true, but I’d say it’s for good reason. You were unconscious on Thursday.”“Well, I’m awake today,” Rick said and it was clear there was more behind it as he nodded to himself.“I took a nap today too,” Andre added as he started to separate one of his piles by color.“Yes, you did because you need your rest.” Michonne slid her hand over Andre’s head, and he smiled as he danced in his seat when he moved another piece.“We’re all set in here,” Dawn said, and Andre looked between Rick and Michonne.“We’ll do more after dinner, right?”“I think that can be arranged,” Rick answered, and Michonne smiled as Andre slid out of his chair and walked toward the kitchen. Dawn had her hand extended, and he took it excitedly. Rick took a breath and prepared to stand, and Michonne moved at the same time, stepping easily into his space and putting one hand on his back and one under his good arm to help him to his feet. When he turned his face, she pulled her hands back faster than he would have liked, “Thanks.”“No problem.” She turned and walked into the kitchen, smiling as she saw the table, “Dawn, you’ve outdone yourself.” She lowered into a chair next to Andre and placed a napkin in his lap.“They barely let me cook for them anymore, so this was a treat.” She pulled Rick’s chair out and helped him sit down. It was obvious he was getting tired, but he nodded when he saw Dawn silently ask if he was ok.Dawn started each serving dish with Carl, who took what he wanted and handed it off to Michonne, who put food on her and Andre’s plates before handing it back to Dawn. She took her time putting food on plates for herself and Rick, swatting his hand when he tried to help.The conversation flowed easily at the table. They asked Michonne about the last day of school, and Carl shared what he knew about his first day of camp that was coming up next week. Not to be left out, Andre told stories about his friends at daycare and what they’d been up to that week. When he mentioned he played with Legos the night before, Carl told him about the Transformers set he’d gotten once his final grades were posted.“Can I show it to him?” Carl looked between Rick and Michonne.“I thought you were going to help me with my puzzle.” Rick pointed at the table in the living room, and Andre smiled, feeling excited to be in demand, “Fine, I can’t compete with Transformers.” Carl helped Andre out of his seat, and Dawn stood up, starting to pull plates from the table. Michonne reached out and Dawn swatted at her hand the same way she had Ricks, causing her to pull it back and laugh.“You’re here as a guest. Guests don’t clean up. I do have something you could help me with, though.” She paused, and Michonne waited, “Please convince my son that he needs to get back in bed and rest.”“Mom, I –“ Rick started, but Michonne had resumed the position she had earlier, helping him stand and he knew his groan was less muted this time when he stood.“Which way?” She looked around, and he pointed with his chin toward the stairs. Dawn smiled to herself as she started to put plates on the counter. Once Rick and Michonne had walked out of the kitchen he pointed toward the shorter staircase down.“My partner came over and helped Carl move the bed downstairs since that’s where the TV is.” He gripped the railing and took the first step down and Michonne chuckled. He paused and looked at her.“Sounds like everyone has been trying to get you to relax.” He climbed into the bed and she sat in the chair she assumed Dawn had put in place for herself, “What’s going on?”“What do you mean?” He relaxed against the pillows behind him.“What do I mean? I don’t have any experience with it, but I feel like most people who have been shot take a little comfort in getting the opportunity to heal afterward.” She leaned back in her chair, lifting her feet to rest them on the bed.“I’ve just already missed enough.” Rick looked at the front of the room where the television sat before looking back at Michonne, who was patiently waiting for him to explain, “There’s a reason Carl doesn’t always tell me things that are going on with him, because I just wasn’t there.”“I think you might be being a little hard on yourself.”“Or you’re going easy on me.”“Well, you were in the hospital a few days ago.” She joked and he smiled.“Going down like that scared the shit out of me.”“I bet.”“I was on the ground thinking about how I spent so much time getting things wrong, and when I was finally starting to get my feet under me that I’d lose everything – that my kids would lose another parent.”“But they didn’t.” Michonne said plainly, “They didn’t, and you’re not doing them any favors by prolonging the healing process. Just rest, just a few more days.” They held each other’s gaze before Rick broke first and nodded, “Sometimes you can do a lot by just sitting still.” He looked at her for a few seconds and then pointed at the tray sitting next to her.“Can you hand me the pills there?” He held his hand out, and she twisted the top loose and handed it to him.“Are you in pain?” She took the bottle back after she saw him swallow two of them and sat up in case she needed to go get his mother.“No, I just have a question, and depending on your response, I want to be able to blame the pills.” He sat up in the bed and took a breath, “Are there rules, or I guess, are you allowed to hang out with a student’s parent?”“Hang out?” Michonne asked, confused, but smiling.“I guess, go out – with?” Rick struggled, and Michonne looked at him blankly.“To think your son is an award-winning writer…” She shook her head, and he let his fall back against the pillow, groaning as his cheeks warmed, “I’m doing my best here.”“You’re asking if I’m allowed to hang out with you?”“Go out with me. I’m asking if you would like to go out with me.”“Well, that is two different questions.”“Sorry, you’ll have to forgive me, I got shot a few days ago, and the medication they have me on…” Rick smiled, and she couldn’t help but return it.“To answer your first question, it’s frowned upon to date a student’s parent when they’re enrolled in our class.”“And when they’re not?”“How do you know Carl doesn’t want to be in my class next year?” Michonne asked, leaning back in her seat and putting her feet back up on the bed.“You’re already thinking about us months from now?” Rick smiled and Michonne rolled her eyes.“Mommy, look what we built.” Andre took the steps one at a time, gripping the rail as Carl trailed behind him, holding the transformer they had put together. Michonne sat up and turned to watch them walk into the room.“Oh, that looks good! Perfect timing, too, Carl I have a question for you.”“Come on, that’s not fair.” Rick shifted in the bed.“What’s up?” Carl asked.“I was just talking to your dad about your classes next year, and we were wondering if you would want to be in my class again.”“Yeah, I – “ Carl stopped, looking confused, and Michonne watched his eyes look past her and to Rick. When she turned, he was looking down at his hands and clearing his throat, “No?”“Oh, that’s crazy.” Michonne looked at Rick and shook her head, “Messing with his education.”“Says the person who told him to call you Michonne.”“What are we talking about?” Carl asked, handing the transformer to Andre who walked it over to hold it up to Rick.“I asked Michonne if I could take her out, like on a date.” Rick took the Legos from Andre and turned it in his hands, obviously impressed.“What’s a date?” Andre asked, looking at his mom.“It’s when two people who like each other spend time together doing something fun.” She answered, buying time.“Like doing a puzzle or Legos?” Andre clarified.“Yes, like doing a puzzle or Legos.” Michonne nodded.“And, what did you say?” Carl asked her, “When he asked you.”“I hadn’t answered yet. We were considering how appropriate it would be if you were going to be in my class next year.”“You were considering,” Rick inserted and Michonne narrowed her eyes at him, “Sorry, the pills.”“Rick, would you just let her answer.” They all looked at the top of the stairs where Dawn was standing, holding Judith. Michonne started to laugh, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers.“Yes, I think I’d really like to go out with you,” Michonne said, looking at Rick first, who was smiling, then up at Carl, who seemed to be processing, and over to Dawn, who smiled at Judith and then walked out of the doorway.“So, you’re going on a date?” Andre asked.“Yes, if that’s ok with everyone?” Michonne laughed as she looked around the room, pausing at Carl, who nodded, and she saw his familiar shy smile.“I’ll go get the puzzle.” Andre started to climb the stairs, and Michonne put her hand out to stop him before thinking better of it.“I’ll go help him pack it up. Carl, when I get back, can you help me move that table over so our patient can still help?” She stood and climbed the stairs after he nodded, and Carl walked over to the table, pulling a few items off of it and moving it himself as close to the bed as possible. As he was getting it settled, Rick cleared his throat.“You know, if you really still wanted to be in her class next year, we would figure it out, right? I don’t want you worried about that.”“It’s cool.” Carl looked down at the table before looking at Rick, “Really, it’s cool.”“You’re sure?”“I mean, I kind of knew you were into her.” Carl sat down, smiling as he dragged his nail on the card table.“You did not.”“Did, too. You were always smiling when you said her name, and I knew you wanted her to like you,” Carl shrugged, “I like Ms. Haw – Michonne.”“Me too.” Rick mussed Carl’s hair and they both laughed as Carl pushed him off, careful not to touch his injury. “Are you going to help us with our puzzle?” Andre leaned against one of the kitchen cabinets and looked up at Dawn.“Oh, I’m not sure – “ She looked up at Michonne who was holding the box.“I’d love it if you joined us. I think the only way we’ll keep him in bed is if we all join forces.”“Yeah, we’re going on a date.” Andre took the box from Michonne’s hands and walked through the kitchen to go back downstairs, leaving both women laughing. Excited by their laughter, Judith put her hands out, and Michonne reached for her at the same time she threw her body forward, making Dawn gasp.“You should come down – if you want. I would also understand if you wanted to run from the house screaming, you’re probably exhausted.” Michonne let Judith rest on her hip, feeling her wide eyes watching her, seemingly fascinated by her as she spoke. They heard laughter from downstairs, and Judith made her best attempt to put words together as Dawn smiled in the direction of the laughs.“It’s been a long year for them. That is a very welcome sound.”The three of them made their way downstairs, where Andre had spread the pieces out. Michonne had done her best to keep the piles he separated earlier together, but it was obvious that the walk downstairs had combined them again.Carl was helping Rick sit up, careful not to jostle him too much, while Rick repeatedly let him know that he was fine. Andre’s face lit up when he saw Dawn and Michonne coming down the stairs, telling Dawn that she should sit next to him, “Now we can get started.”The puzzle wasn’t complicated. One person probably could have completed it within 30 minutes, but they all took their time. Andre assigned their tasks, telling them which piece they were looking for in between their conversation about dinner and the upcoming week. Rick and Michonne snuck glances at each other, and Carl tried to remember the last time he saw his dad smile this much. Andre pouted the third time Judith tried to eat one of his pieces but felt better once he got to teach her how to connect them.Michonne pulled her phone out as they were finishing and read the screen before turning it toward Carl, “Beth is asking me if I read it yet. I’m guessing you know what that means?”“Oh! That’s what I was going to ask you about earlier.” he stood and ran up the stairs as five pairs of eyes watched him and returned holding a stack of paper, “We wrote this.” He handed it to Michonne, suddenly embarrassed and she took the papers, flipping through them. “You and Beth wrote a story together?”“Yeah, well, she’s going to that theatre camp, and they turn stories into plays. She thought I might be into it. You don’t have to read it now, just whenever, but we wanted to know what you thought.”“Oh, how fun!” Michonne straightened the sheets and put them on the table, “Beth was a bit less diplomatic. She’d like my feedback by tomorrow.”“Last piece!” Andre held it up, and everyone watched as he slid it into place.“Good timing. I think it’s time for us to head out.” Michonne rubbed Andre’s back, knowing he wanted to complain, but it was obvious he was tired.“Andre, Carl, why don’t you two come help me pack up a bit to go so I’m not sending you all home empty-handed.” Dawn pulled Judith from Michonne’s lap before they all went upstairs, and she almost stopped her before she realized she was hoping to give Rick and Michonne a few minutes alone.“Request for a heads-up if I end up sitting in another auditorium where my son tells the world my marriage wasn’t great.”“Now, where would be the fun in that?” Michonne smiled, and he couldn’t help but chuckle as well, “But you’re in the clear, if Beth wrote this, I can promise you that it’s teen angst. I would guess it’s Hershel’s turn.”“So, about our date…”“I had a lovely time on our date,” Michonne smirked as she looked at the completed puzzle between them, and Rick shook his head.“I was thinking for the next one; it could be just you and I.”“I think I’d like that. Let me know when you have doctor approval to be out of bed for extended amounts of time, and don’t think I’m above checking with Dawn to see if it’s legit.”“You underestimate my ability to involve my mom in plans.”“Fine, I’ll ask Carl.”“Well, you may have me there.”They smiled at each other as Michonne stood, “Do you need anything before we go?” Rick shook his head, shifting as though he was going to attempt to stand, and Michonne pressed his shoulder.“I can’t say goodbye?”“You can, from right there.” She yelled up the stairs, “Peanut, come say bye to Rick!” They heard his small feet running and within seconds saw him coming back downstairs.“Bye.” He put his arms up on the bed and made his best attempt to hoist himself up.“Thank you for helping me out with my puzzle,” Rick answered, and Andre beamed.“Go get your shoes on; we’re leaving in a few minutes.” She patted him on the arm, and he jogged up the stairs, already telling Dawn and Carl he was leaving before he’d reached the top step. Once he was out of sight, she leaned in, surprising Rick with a kiss on the cheek and she couldn’t help but laugh when she saw his face as she started to walk away.“Remember, rest.”
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“Do you know when we’ll find out about our classrooms next year?” Michonne placed two books into an open box, and Glenn shrugged from his seat at one of the desks.“No idea. I know people have already been asking Deanna, but you know she’s tight-lipped about it. You want the same one, or a different one?”“View of the trees, not view of the parking lot.”“My god, if you were a worse teacher, I would apologize to Deanna daily for bringing you here.” He shook his head and Michonne laughed.“I like a nice view, and trees are more inspiring than a parking lot for the kids.” Michonne tossed a spray bottle and towel at Glenn who caught them and stood to start wiping down desks as she continued to pack her things. When her phone vibrated against the table, she stopped immediately and reached for it.“Everything ok?”“Yeah.” She smiled at the screen and typed a quick response before putting the phone back on her desk, “Rick has his follow-up appointment today to make sure everything still looks good since he was released.”“How’s he been doing?”“Honestly, pretty good? Bored, since he’s used to being in motion all the time, but I think good. We’ve been talking since he’s been home. Last night he Facetimed with Andre for 30 minutes while I folded laundry in peace.” She smiled to herself as she recalled Andre holding up the new books he’d checked out from the library and then telling him about his day. When Michonne had mentioned to Andre that Rick may not have time to hear about his entire day, Rick let her know he had plenty of time since Judith was napping and Carl was in his room. She had joked that if she wasn’t needed, she would go elsewhere, and Rick said if she needed to do anything, they were good. “What’s Carl think about all of it?”“He seems to be good with it. I mean, he hasn’t said otherwise so far. I’ve told Rick over and over that if he has a problem to let me know. Do you think I need to tell Deanna?” Michonne bit the inside of her cheek and Glenn considered her question.“I mean, probably? I really don’t think she’d have an issue with it, but I do think she’d prefer to hear it from you and it’s a small town, word will get around fast.” “Would you stop touchin’ shit?” Rick sat on the examination table and rolled his eyes as Abe knocked over a roll of paper towels and as he reached for it, he caught one sheet, causing it to unravel and roll the length of the room.“Well, they’ve had us in here for 30 minutes. What the hell am I supposed to do?”“I told you that you could wait in the lobby.” Rick looked up at the ceiling and tried to relax.“There’s nothing for me to do out there either.”“Well, you wouldn’t be getting on my nerves.” Rick took a breath and let his eyes close. The only appointment that Rick had been able to get was at the same time that Carl needed to be dropped off at his class, so in a pinch, he’d asked Abraham if he could take him to his follow-up appointment.“What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you so stressed? You said you were feeling fine.”“I do,” Rick said, and his tone made it seem like the confirmation was for both of them.“Then the doc shouldn’t say anything surprising. Quick check, tell you to not get shot again, and then we can go grab a beer.”“I just,” Rick took another breath, “I think I just need to hear it from him.” They sat quietly for a minute. Rick had his good arm draped across his body, rubbing his bandaged wound, and Abe watched him“You afraid? To go back to it?”“Yeah.” Rick nodded, surprised at how easily the answer came, then opened his eyes and looked at Abe, “Yeah.” Abe tried to think of something, anything that he could say, but as soon as he started to speak, the examination room door opened and Rick’s doctor walked in.“About damn time.”“I’m sorry,” Rick started to sit up, struggling a bit and the doctor helped him, “Please excuse my partner here.”“You don’t need to make any apologies for him. We’re well acquainted.” The doctor smiled as he started to unwrap the dressing.“You still a dick Siddiq?” Abe asked and Rick looked at him, surprised. He heard a chuckle and the doctor laughed as he examined the wound and manipulated Rick’s arm, causing him to wince.“Do you mind?” Rick leaned around the doctor and asked Abraham.“Pay him no mind.” He lifted Rick’s arm again before placing it gently at his side.“You two go after the same girl or something?” Rick asked, confused.“Worse. I beat him in a wrestling championship in high school.”“I had been sick for a couple of weeks before and it threw off my weight class,” Abe inserted as Siddiq lowered to the chair and made a note on the computer.“So, Mr. Grimes, how are you feeling?” Siddiq rolled toward him and leaned back to listen.“Pretty good.”“Pain level?”“It’s not consistent. I only really feel it when I lift my arm.” Rick moved his shoulder as they spoke, testing his answer.“It looks like you’re not experiencing any swelling, which is good. You seem to be on track. I’d like you to go ahead and schedule your appointment to start your physical therapy in a week. We’ll want to make sure we’re working on your range of motion and work those muscles.”“But I’m clear to return to regular activities?”“Not ready to return to work for the foreseeable future, but I’d be comfortable with you being a bit more vertical. Let’s hold off on driving until your physical therapy has started.” He watched as Rick slouched and smiled, “You were shot, Mr. Grimes, I think we can get you back to where you were, but we’re going to take our time with it if that’s ok with you.”“Maybe we should get a second opinion.” Abraham wrapped the blood pressure cuff around his arm and started to pump it.“A second opinion on no swelling and not approving to drive?” Siddiq asked.“That won’t be necessary,” Rick answered, clearly annoyed.“Right. Well, that’s all from my end. Nurse will be in to wrap that up again for us, and you can look at scheduling your PT and next follow-up at the desk on your way out. Please let me know if you start to feel any pain, or have any questions.”“Thank you.” Rick extended his hand and Siddiq shook it as Abe hit him in the back with a tongue depressor. The doctor paused as he heard it hit the ground and shook his head.“Always a pleasure Abe.” When the door closed behind him, Abe removed the cuff and hung it back up.“Judith would have been a better pick than you.”“Speaking of better picks than me. What’s going on with the teacher? Carl mentioned her when we were moving the bed the other day. Thought she might have been a better candidate than me. Maybe not better than Judith, but between the two of us.”“We haven’t even gone out yet, I can’t ask her to take me to a doctor’s appointment.”“Well, obviously I’m not someone who should be giving out dating advice.” Abe leaned back in the chair again, with his head resting against the wall, “Lotta guys walk away after something like this, you know? Nobody would judge you for deciding it wasn’t for you.” Rick processed what he said and looked at him.“You ever thought about quitting? Considered how dangerous it is with a family to consider?” Rick shifted on the exam table and the paper rustled under him as he watched Abe sit up.“I ever tell you how I ended up on the force a few years ago?” Abe waited and Rick shook his head, “We had a break-in at the house. Out of nowhere these two dipshits sneak in while we’re sleeping. Car was in the shop, so I’m thinking they thought we were out of town, but I just so happened to be in the kitchen sneaking another piece of the pie my wife had made. I make eye contact with one of them and for that brief second, I remember thinking that they should run.” Abe rubbed his fingers over his beard and cleared his throat.“But they didn’t?”“Nah, I guess they figured they were already in, it was two against one and they had a gun. It should have taken a few minutes, I could have had them down and called the cops, but I was mad. I just kept thinking these sons of bitches came in my house while my family slept and I was going to make them pay. It wasn’t until I heard my daughter scream that I realized my wife and kids had woken up. My wife was holding the phone and my kids were running back to their room as she called the police.” Abe leaned forward, his elbows were on his knees as he continued, “After everything was said and done, I went to check on my wife and kids. I knew as soon as I walked in the room –““What?”“They were afraid of me. What they’d seen me do, what they’d realized I was capable of.” Abe sat up and blinked as he swallowed, “Officers that arrived were praising me, telling me I should have a future in law enforcement, while my family thought I was just as scary as the men who’d broken in.”“I would have done the same thing,” Rick said confidently and Abe’s neck snapped to look at him, shock on his face, “I mean it. I would have done the same thing.” Rick refused to look away and Abe’s eyes lifted to the ceiling, blinking again as the door opened.“Alright, Mr. Grimes. Let’s get you ready to get out of here.” The nurse smiled as she opened the cabinets and pulled out what she needed. Abe looked at Rick and gave a singular nod, the gratitude clear and Rick nodded in return. “This was supposed to take an hour,” Glenn said, placing the spray bottle back on Michonne’s desk.“And that’s exactly how long it would have taken if we hadn’t Facetimed Maggie, played connect four, and prank called Rosita’s classroom. We’re almost done.” She heard her phone vibrate and reached for it, seeing Rick’s name light up on screen, “Hello?”“Hey! What are you up to?” He asked, and even with the short time they’d known each other she could tell he was smiling on the other end.“Just doing a last cleaning of my classroom with my very special helper.” Michonne smiled at Glenn who rolled his eyes. She sat down in her desk chair and opened the bottom drawer, retrieving a Crunch bar and tossing it at him, “What did the doctor say?”“I have good news and bad news. Are you a good news first or a bad news first person?”“Whichever one you’d like to share first,” Michonne said casually and Rick chuckled.“Ok, the good news is that I am in the clear to be up and about again. Limited restrictions.”“Limited? Who was the witness in the room for this appointment?”“You gotta just trust me, because it is too early in whatever it is that we have going on for me to subject you to a conversation with Abe.”“Fine, go ahead.”“Only restriction is that I can’t drive yet.”“Oh, that’s great news. So, everything looks good?”“Yeah, yeah everything is fine. I wanted to see if you were available tomorrow night.”“Tomorrow?”“I know, it’s short notice, but Mom said she’d be happy to take the kids, including Andre, so if childcare was an issue – ““No, I don’t think that would be a problem.”“You already have plans, sorry, I should have asked.”“No no, I don’t have plans.” Michonne shook her head and Glenn looked up, openly eavesdropping now.“Oh, I mean, if you’ve changed your mind, we don’t have to –““Rick, no. Tomorrow would be great. I can do tomorrow.” Michonne smiled as she nodded to herself.“Great, should I tell Mom Andre will be by?”“Let me check with Beth and Maggie first. I think he’d have fun with Dawn, but I know she’s had a busy week and he can be a handful.”“Ok, but if they can’t, she’s happy to watch him,” Rick assured her and Michonne laughed.“I will keep that in mind, and please make sure you thank her for the offer. Did you want me to pick you up?” She asked.“No, I had an idea, if you’re comfortable with it. Can you swing by my house around 6, wait no, let’s do 7.”“Yeah, of course.”“Ok, don’t forget, offer still stands to watch Andre.”“Got it. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Michonne hung up the phone and she bit her bottom lip, smiling.“What gives?” Glenn interrupted and she looked up at him.“What do you mean?”“It seemed like you were going to say no for a second there when you were lunging for his text messages earlier.” Glenn sat down at one of the desks and ripped into his candy bar as he put his feet up on the chair in front of him.“I did not lunge for my phone,” she rolled her eyes, “I dunno. Just seems weird that I’d be dating. It’s weird that I’m dating, right?”“I don’t consider myself an expert, but I’d say over a year of being broken up is an incredibly respectful period. Hell, I think we all would have been ok with a long weekend.” Glenn smiled and Michonne laughed.“I mean the dating part, getting to know someone. I feel like even when Mike and I were just starting, we weren’t really going on dates. Just group hangs that turned into a relationship. I don’t know.”“You want to make it a group thing instead?”“Wouldn’t that be hilarious? I show up to his house with you and Maggie. Surprise!” They laughed and Michonne pulled out a candy bar for herself.“Perhaps it’s not a surprise.”“No, no. I can do this. It’s just dinner. I think it’s dinner? I didn’t even ask. Should I have asked more questions?” Michonne sat up and looked at her phone as if the date itinerary was magically going to be on screen.“7 pm is dinner time, so I’m going to go out on a limb and say food will be provided. You want me to message Maggie about Andre?”“No, I’m going to check with Beth first, see if she wants to stay over at our house. She’s been wanting to talk to me about her story, so she can come over a bit early and we can take a look.” Michonne chewed on her candy bar as she texted Beth to see if she was available and Glenn stood, walking closer to her desk.“If you need anything. You let us know, ok?” He waited for her to nod and then tapped her desk before walking toward the door of the classroom.“Thanks for all your help.” She called out and he smiled at her before he turned the corner. “Do you need anything else before we go?” Dawn looked around the kitchen and Rick stirred the pot on the stove before he looked over at her.“I think I’m ok. I think.”“Well, you let me know. And if you think of anything, you call me. I feel weird about leaving you here without anyone. Maybe we should wait until she gets here.” Dawn wrung her hands.“Can we stay?” Carl’s brows went up, “I want to know what she thinks of the –““No, you cannot stay.” Rick shook his head and Carl slouched in his seat, “We’ll plan something for all of us soon. Is that fair?”“I guess. Beth gets to hang out at Michonne’s house. I could have gone over there.”“Beth isn’t hanging out at Michonne’s house, she’s babysitting Andre, and she’s also five years older than you.”“You’d let me hang out with them though, right? I could go over to Michonne’s to hang out too?” Carl asked and Rick took a breath, overwhelmed by the questions.“Carl, let’s get out of here. I’m sure you and your father can talk about this another time.” Dawn held out her arm and he stood and walked toward her, still pouting slightly. She smiled at Carl before looking at Rick, “Everything looks great sweetheart, and remember, if you need anything –““Yes, mom, I promise, if I need anything, I’ll call you. But I have to beg you all to leave now before she gets here.”“We’re going!” She tapped him on the cheek and started toward the front door.“Carl!” He called out and he poked his head back inside the house, “I’ll ask her about the three of you getting together, ok?” Carl smiled and nodded, making Rick feel better before they left.He walked into the dining room and glanced outside, shifting a bit to the left and right for a different perspective. Then he returned to the kitchen and checked the clock. There were still 30 minutes until she was due to arrive, so he adjusted the temperature on the stove and sat awkwardly at the kitchen table, trying to appear as casual as possible while practicing different positions. Rick jumped up when he heard the doorbell, walking slowly to appear at least a little less excited than he was and felt a bit more relaxed as he saw her smile when he opened the door, “Hi.”“Hi.” Michonne stepped into the house as he held the door open for her, surprised at how comfortable she felt in a place she’d only been inside once before.“You look great,” Rick said and Michonne made a face.“Are you making fun? You told me to be as comfortable as I wanted.” She laughed as she looked down at her outfit selection. She’d picked something between what she might wear on a night in with her friends and a night out with her friends. “Not at all. You could have worn sweats.” Rick closed the door and they walked deeper into the house.“Next time.”“Can I get you something to drink?” Rick asked and Michonne lifted her chin, sniffing in the general direction of the kitchen.“What is that smell?”“Scary question. Smells bad or smells good?” Rick asked, his face nervous.“No, no, it’s good. Sorry,” She smiled and saw him relax again, “Smells familiar?” Michonne looked at Rick, clearly trying to recall the smell before her jaw dropped and her hand came to her mouth, “Can I taste it?”“Now?”“You think it’s weird that I want to have dinner that you made on our dinner date?” She asked.“Well, I’ve been looking at it for a while now, and originally it seemed like a good idea, but I’ll admit now that I’m nervous. I may have bitten off a bit more than I could chew.”“I’m sure it’s great.” Michonne tried to sound as supportive as possible, clearly excited. Rick couldn’t help but match it, shaking off some of his nerves as he walked her through the living room and dining room and opened the sliding glass door. Her lips parted before she smiled and looked at him, “This is beautiful.”“Mom and Carl helped. The lights were all Mom’s idea. I’m still a little concerned about a fire hazard.” Rick pulled her chair out and Michonne sat down. They had a modest treelined backyard, but on their patio, they’d put out a tablecloth with flowers as an accent. It wasn’t dark yet, but the two trees closest to them had white twinkle lights and as soon as he saw her smile he knew his mom had been right.“It’s beautiful.”“I’ll be right back.” Rick pulled the door back open and stepped inside the house. He went to the kitchen window and looked out as he followed the instructions that Carl had left out for him on his phone. After he pressed the last button, he saw her jump slightly before he heard music coming from the speaker that was on the table. He probably should have given her a warning, but looked away once he saw her relax into her seat again.He worked as quickly as possible putting the food together, grabbing the bowls and spoons that he’d set out and filling the basket he’d lined with cornbread. When he made it back outside, Michonne turned in her chair and tried to look inside the bowls, smiling when he placed it in front of her.“How did you do this?” She looked between him and the bowl and he started to sit before standing suddenly again and walking inside. He returned with waters for them and sat back down. She looked at him, still waiting for his response as he placed his napkin in his lap.“That’s a long story, why don’t you taste it first before I launch into it so it doesn’t get cold.” They both lifted their spoons, and Rick felt nervous all over again as she dipped it in the bowl. He told himself not to watch her as she tasted it, but couldn’t help himself, “How is it? And you can be honest.”“It’s not exactly like hers, but it’s way too similar to my grandmother’s jambalaya to be a coincidence. How did you do this?” She spooned another bite as Rick took his first and then held up the basket of cornbread for her.“Well, you have to remember I had a lot of free time on my hands last week. When you mentioned that it was one of your favorites, I looked up how to make it, but I realized there were a hundred different ways to make jambalaya. So, then I remembered that I had met your friend Maggie so I thought she might be able to give me some intel.”“You talked to Maggie?” Michonne asked, shocked.“Carl got her phone number from Beth and she said that she went home with you a few times and had it. I thought she was just going to tell me what it tasted like, or if she could remember some of the spices, but she contacted your mom. She told her that she was trying to surprise you and your mom helped write up what she could. My mom and I figured out as much as we could after that.” Michonne leaned back in her seat as he finished.“I cannot believe Maggie didn’t tell me this.”“Well, she only knew so much. I hadn’t planned on making it for you this soon. I thought we had time to work on it a bit, but once I found out I couldn’t take you out anywhere I felt like I had to bring something to the table.” Rick shrugged, with his eyes lowered, and stirred his food.“I’m impressed. Obviously, by the food, because it’s very good, but also because you got Maggie to keep this a secret.” Michonne ate another bite and Rick laughed.“I think as soon as she knew I was wanting to cook for you she was good with keeping it between us. She seems like a good friend.” Rick started to eat and Michonne nodded.“She’s a great friend. Her and Glenn. Hell, Hershel and Beth too, they’ve all been amazing. It felt crazy to pack up and leave the way I did. But, it’s honestly the best decision I’ve made.”“You didn’t want to move near your mom?”“I thought about it, but I had a two-year-old and needed a job. I know my mom would have been fine with us coming, but I would have felt like a burden coming without an assurance that I’d be able to support Andre and me. We stayed with Glenn and Maggie for a month until I found a house and we were settled in before the school year started.” Michonne paused, remembering those first couple of months in Richardson and Rick cleared his throat, a bit unsure of his question.“And um, Andre’s father?”“Mike.”“You mentioned you left while he was away for work. I can’t imagine he was happy to find out the two of you had moved to a new zip code.”“I called him while I was packing. I’m not saying this was the correct order of operations, but I called, and he didn’t answer, and I told him that he needed to call me, that it was important. I remember telling myself that it could just be a weekend away. That Andre and I could just spend some time with friends, and then come back if, when I spoke to him, it felt like I’d made a mistake.”“What happened when he called?” Rick leaned in.“I told him that I was considering taking the job I’d been offered. That I liked the idea of being a part of improving a district and that it seemed like a great fit for me. I told him that I needed more help with Andre since I wasn’t getting it from him and that I knew I could depend on Maggie and Glenn.” She sipped her water and took a deep breath, “He said that I sounded stressed and that his mom could watch Andre while we went on a vacation.” She started to laugh to herself and Rick watched her, “I just remember telling him that of course I was stressed. I hated my job; I was a single parent in a relationship and I was unhappy.”“You mean a vacation wasn’t going to fix that?” Rick joked and Michonne smiled and shook her head.“I was pretty sure it wouldn’t, no. So, we came for the weekend and I ended up going back to pack up the rest of our things.”“He didn’t try to get you to come back?”“He did, but in the hour-long conversation he had with me while I was packing, he didn’t mention Andre once. Not one time.”“I’m not sure how I would have handled it.” Rick looked around the yard.“What do you mean?”“I look back now and realize everything that was wrong with our relationship. Everything that I could have done differently. If Lori had told me she was gonna leave,” Rick paused, “You were brave. You did the right thing. I wish that she or I had been brave enough to just end it. If we had, she might still be here for our kids. She could have been with someone else, I would have still been there for Carl.” “Damn do we know how to put a damper on a good meal or what?” Michonne joked and Rick laughed harder than he had in weeks.“You’re right. Let’s talk about something else.” Michonne smiled, glancing at her phone when she heard it vibrate against the table, “Do you mind? Beth will send me updates.” Rick shook his head and watched as she lifted the phone, smiling before holding up the phone so he could see the picture. Beth and Andre were holding up a tray of cookies, their smiles on full display.“I was supposed to ask if next time Beth babysits, if Carl can hang out with them instead of going to mom’s.”“Oh my gosh, I should have thought of that. He’s always welcome and I know that Andre would love it. I think they would all have a good time together.” Michonne bit into another piece of cornbread.“So, you feel good about there being a next time?” Rick asked.“I feel very confident there will be a next time.” Michonne smiled. Rick felt his cheeks warm as their conversation continued. They talked briefly about his recovery and some of the classes that he’d taken a look at, but for the most part, they both enjoyed how comfortable they felt in each other's space. Most of their time had been spent talking about Carl, or their kids, and instead they got to zoom in a bit on each other.“Did you want more?” Rick asked, as he eyed Michonne’s empty bowl.“I was thinking more about the weight limit of that hammock.” Michonne looked across the yard and Rick stood, holding out his hand.“Let’s find out? If we fall, at least it’s only a couple of feet to the bottom.” Their fingers easily came together and Michonne realized for the first time that it was only the twinkly lights that were allowing them to see each other since the sun had gone down. In their short walk to the yard, it was just them and the stars, and as he held the hammock in place, she felt so excited as he climbed in next to her, making sure she’d be on the opposite side of his wound, their shoulders touching before they shifted, Michonne moving to her side and Rick lifting his arm for her to slide underneath.“I know you had help with the jambalaya, but did you put in a special request for these stars too?” She smiled as she rested against his chest.“Happy to say I got to save up a few points and this happened on its own,” Rick said as he let his hand slide the length of her back. It was surprising how naturally they came together. Michonne felt more relaxed in this moment than she had in weeks and for the first time since Rick had been shot, he felt like he didn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders.“I hope you’d be brave with me,” Michonne said.“What do you mean?” Rick’s brows went up as he looked down at the top of her head. She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him.“You mentioned earlier, that you wished you or Lori had been braver. If this was ever, something that you – I don’t know, wasn’t what you expected or – I mean we both know what it’s like to be in relationships that should end.”“I need you to know that the only part of that I heard was that you’re saying we’re in a relationship.” Rick smiled and Michonne rested her forehead against him, laughing.“I’m being serious.” Michonne dug her fingers into his side and he stopped smiling.“Me too. I’ve never had this before. You’re asking me to be brave if I wanted to end it, and the only thing I’m hoping is that you’re brave enough to give me a chance.” He lifted his eyes to the stars again as he finished, obviously nervous, and Michonne scooted up in the hammock, reaching her hand out to cup his cheek. She nodded at him, silently reassuring him, and she couldn’t help but smile into their kiss as she saw the relief on his face.The night seemed to hold its breath all around them as they kissed. Each of them leaning into something they wanted so badly without ever realizing how much. His hand found hers, fingers intertwining again, anchoring each other in the moment as she stars seemed to shine just a little brighter around them.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“So how was it?” Maggie asked as she pulled a bouquet from the flower stand next to her. They had been at the farmers market for less than 10 minutes, and it was clear Maggie had no intention of waiting to hear about the date.“It was nice.” Michonne shrugged, attempting to keep her response casual, but she laughed when Maggie turned to look at her, “What?”“Nice?” She made a face, clearly disappointed as they continued to walk.“Ok, it was better than nice. Way better than nice. Easily the nicest date I’ve been on.”“Now, was that so hard? Are you going to invite him to Glenn’s birthday? Because that seems like the perfect soft entry into the fold.” Maggie paid for the flowers in her hand and they continued to the next stall. When Michonne didn’t answer Maggie looked confused, “What’s wrong?”“I was just on a path, you know, and I feel like this takes me a bit off the path.” Michonne looked over at Maggie who was considering what she said.“Why is it bad to be off the path. Also, what was the path?”“I’m here in a new city, with a new job. I’ve just been so focused on grounding myself after how things played out with Mike, figuring out what I really want and what would be best for Andre and me.”“Ok, I can support that. What do you want?” Maggie asked as they stopped at the next stall and both lifted handmade soaps to smell, “Because we’re only best friends, and I probably know you better than anyone, but I THINK you would want a man who tracks down recipes to make you dinner and does puzzles with your son. I dunno, though.” Michonne laughed as she picked up another soap, putting them in a stack in front of her.“It’s more than that, though. It doesn’t seem like any of this would ever be in half measures, you know? There are five people to consider here.” She paid for her soaps and watched as they were wrapped up.“Six, I’m completely invested. Seven, if we include Glenn, because we always include Glenn. We probably need to round it out to eight to include Beth because she and Carl are friends and you’re her favorite person.”“So, you see what I mean!”“Forget all that. Let’s just think about one and go back to my original question. What do you want? Are we getting back on the path? Because we can do that.” They kept walking, Michonne deep in her thoughts, and Maggie giving her some time to think as they turned into another stall. While Maggie started a conversation with the artist who painted the prints hanging around them, Michonne pulled out her phone.“Hey!” Rick answered and Michonne never seemed to get tired of hearing the excitement in his voice when he picked up her calls.“Hey, what are you doing?”“Judith and I are watching Sesame Street. I feel like I’m paying more attention than she is. Are you still at the Farmers Market?”“Yeah, but um, I wanted to ask you something.” Michonne stepped out of the stall, trying to give herself a little privacy.“Sure, what’s up?”“You know Glenn?”“He’s probably more Mr. Rhee than Glenn to me, but, yes.” Rick joked.“Well, it’s his birthday on Saturday and we’re throwing a party. I was wondering if you’d like to come.” Michonne paused and when he didn’t answer immediately got a bit nervous that maybe he wouldn’t be comfortable in that situation, “If you want to. You don’t have to, maybe it might be a bit overwhelming to be around everyone at once.”“Yes, sorry, of course I want to come. I was just putting the phone on speaker so that I could send my mom a note to see if she is available to watch the kids.”“If she can’t, let me know. Beth is watching Andre, and I’m sure she’d be good to watch Judith as well, or Carl can just go over to the house while Judith is with Dawn if you’re more comfortable with that.”“Well, we both know what Carl is going to choose.” Rick paused, “Mom said she’s good to watch them. I’ll ask Carl when I pick him up later to make sure, but I think we’re good.” Rick said and it got quiet, “It’s good, right?” Michonne laughed and nodded even though he couldn’t see.“That was just really easy.”“Well, if Sesame Street doesn’t distract me too much, I’ll try to think of a few ways to complicate things.”“I would appreciate that.” Michonne laughed and they agreed to talk later after Rick had spoken with Carl. Michonne put her phone back in her bag and jumped when she turned around to find Maggie standing with a smile on her face.“Are you happy?”“Yeah,” Maggie shrugged, satisfied, “But only because you are.” “Don’t forget, while you’re at her house, you are a guest and Beth is supposed to be watching Andre, so make sure you’re not distracting her.” Rick looked over at Carl in the passenger seat of his truck, “Oh, and don’t forget to give her the gift card.”“Got it,” Carl said, holding it up in his hand. He’d been thrilled at the idea of hanging out with Beth and Andre instead of spending the evening at his grandmother’s house, but the thought of being babysat by his friend didn’t sit well with him. Beth had insisted she didn’t need payment, but Rick felt like he needed to show his gratitude in some way. He’d picked up a gas gift card for her and handed Carl some cash to order pizza for everyone.“I’m not sure when I’ll be back yet, but I’ll send you a message so you know when I’m on my way and you let me know if you need me to come back earlier.” Rick looked over, trying to read Carl’s responses.“I’ve hung out with friends before.” Carl rolled his eyes and Rick nodded. He’d heard Carl mention his old friends, but he hadn’t really been involved in the planning process.“Right.” He put the car in park in the driveway and smiled when he saw Andre at the door, waving at them through the glass. Rick and Carl both unbuckled their seatbelts and climbed out.“Dad… you don’t have to come in with me.”“I’m just saying hi, I promise I will try not to do anything uncool in the three minutes I’m here.” Rick smiled at Beth who opened the door as they got closer. Andre looked up at both of them, moving out of the way for them to step inside.“Hi!” He greeted them excitedly, “Are you all coming to play with me too?”“Remember what we talked about Andre?” Beth asked, “Carl is going to stay with us and we’re going to play and eat dinner and watch a movie, but Rick is going to see your mom, Maggie, and Glenn.” Andre’s face fell, and he turned to Beth.“Am I going?”“No babes, you’re gonna stay here with Carl and me.” Beth smiled, but Andre pouted and looked down at his feet.“Hey, you remember the picture that you drew for me when I wasn’t feeling well?” Rick asked and Andre nodded, interested but still sad.“Why don’t you draw something for me to take over to Glenn for his birthday.” Rick offered and Andre lifted to his toes.“Right now?”“Yep, right now and if you’re super-fast I can take it over.”“I can be SO fast!” Andre took off running down the hall and Beth followed, smiling at Rick before she called out to Andre to see if he needed any help. Michonne sat on the kitchen counter at Maggie and Glenn’s house, snacking on chips as Maggie put the finishing touches on the cake they’d made.“I think it looks good. It looks good, right?” She turned it and Michonne nodded.“It looks great. I’m not sure the two people who made it are the best people to make that assessment, but I love it.” She lifted her wine glass as Maggie lifted hers and laughed as they took a sip. Michonne heard her phone vibrate on the counter across the room and the notification noise from Maggie’s phone went off at the same time. Maggie reached for hers first and looked at the screen.“Bad news is your man friend is running late. Good news is it appears to be for a really cute reason.” Maggie zoomed in on the picture and Michonne slid off the counter and looked over her shoulder to see a photo of Rick and Andre at his small table.“Is that his big box of crayons?” Michonne leaned closer.“He has the 120 out. So, you know he’s serious.” Maggie closed the picture and texted Beth as Michonne snuck a taste of icing, “Oh, he’s on the way, she said he left a bit ago. Sounds like Andre was bummed he couldn’t come so this was a distraction.”“Babe, where are the long matches?” Glenn called into the kitchen from the back door.“In the shed! Wait, what are you all lighting on fire?” Maggie pocketed her phone and walked toward the back of the house as Michonne heard a knock at the door. When she looked out the window, she saw Rick adjusting his shirt and holding a small bag. She was happy that everyone was outside so that she could greet him by herself instead of surrounded by Glenn’s friends.“Hi.” She held the door open and he walked in, both of them smiling shyly at first before Rick leaned forward, hesitating just slightly and she met him in the middle for a soft, lingering kiss.“Sorry I’m late. Ran a bit behind.” He looked around the empty room and she closed the door behind him.“Everyone is out back. I can go introduce you.” She started to walk away and he gripped her waist, pulling her back as they smiled into another kiss.“Ok, let’s go.”“How was the drive over? What is that, four days now that you’re back behind the wheel?” They moved through the kitchen and Michonne grabbed the bag of chips she’d been eating, holding it open to offer Rick some. “Felt good. I’m only a little sore, but that’s just from the physical therapy on Thursday.” He paused as she turned to look back at him, clearly assessing him as her eyes moved to his shoulder, “I feel fine and I barely did anything today.”“You need to say something if you need to sit down, or you’re feeling tired. There are seats under the umbrella.” Michonne pointed across the yard and Rick pulled at her hand.“I’m fine, I promise. I just want to spend an evening with you.” He felt his cheeks warm with the way that she looked at him and for a second Michonne forgot why she’d brought him outside.“Hey! You two, get over here!” Maggie yelled across the yard and Michonne waved her off.“Ready?” she asked, and he nodded in response. Hand in hand, they walked toward the group. “Everyone, this is Rick,” she announced, gesturing to him. “Rick, this is everyone.” She glanced around at the small cluster of people, most of whom seemed preoccupied. One was stacking sticks, while Glenn, who had been kneeling nearby, stood up and stepped forward to shake Rick’s hand. “What are you all doing?” she asked, curiously.“Happy Birthday! Uh, this is for you.” Rick extended his arm and handed Glenn the small bag he’d been holding.“Thanks! I’m really glad you could make it.” He started to open the bag and Rick pointed at it.“The drawing is from Andre, he worked pretty hard on it.” He nodded as Glenn pulled it out first and held it up for everyone to see. Maggie and Michonne made eye contact, smiling at each other and Rick pointed at the bag again. “The other thing is just something small. I have one that I always keep on me, and I like it so it seemed like something that would be useful.” He watched as Glenn reached back inside the bag and pulled out what seemed like a multipurpose tool.“Wait, does this have a flint stick?” Glenn asked and his friends stopped what they were doing and looked over.“Uh yeah, and a whistle.” Rick pointed over to the side to try and show off the feature.“We’re setting up to do the fire making challenge that they do on Survivor, you know when you have to burn through the rope? Come on.” Glenn waved Rick over and he glanced at Michonne before following him. She laughed as he got pulled into one of the groups and Maggie moved to stand next to her.“I wouldn’t have even known to warn him that there was potential for him to get pulled into a fire making competition.” “I’m as confused as you are, but I guess they were talking about how challenging it is to start a fire, decided it would be worth trying, Survivor was on last night, I don’t know, but they appear to be distracted and having a good time, I won’t complain.” Maggie pulled her away and they sat down on the patio furniture as Maggie refilled their glasses and relaxed, “I do think if he’s able to get a fire going, I’m going to think it’s attractive.” They laughed and Maggie sipped her drink and they watched the groups moving around and trying different things. Michonne could tell Rick was a little nervous and apprehensive, but she saw how Glenn continued to involve him as they tried different things.The minutes ticked by as they continued their adventure of building a fire. Michonne checked in at one point to see if Rick needed to take a break when she saw him wince as he snapped a branch in half. He waved her off and when she returned to her seat, Maggie was holding up Andre’s picture and pointing out how good it was. “So, your dad and Michonne?” Beth tossed a few stuffed animals into the open basket. Andre was curled up on the couch watching a cartoon, exhausted from running around the house. She kept her volume low so he wouldn’t hear, unsure how she’d explain anything to him.“My dad and Michonne, what?” Carl asked as he scanned Michonne’s bookshelf. “Are they like, together now?”“I think so?” Carl shrugged, not turning away from the shelf.“You think so?” Beth asked as she tossed one of the stuffed animals she’d been holding, and it smacked Carl lightly on the back of his head. Turning at the sound of Andre’s giggle, she couldn’t help but smile. Carl picked up the stuffed animal and carried it over to her, plopping down on the floor beside her.“I know he likes her,” Carl said and Beth nodded.“And you like her, right because she’s literally the best person ever.”“I’ve never seen my dad like this with anyone.” Carl crossed his legs and let his elbow rest on his knee, “They smile together, and he was sad for a really long time – or maybe not sad, but not what he is now.”“I know what you mean. Everything was different for me after my mom passed. My dad was struggling, Maggie was away at school, I wasn’t in a good place.” Beth bit the inside of her cheek, “The first time Maggie came home from school she brought Michonne with her. Daddy was mad because Maggie had been doing something or other, so instead of listening to them fight, Michonne asked me about the solo I had in the children’s choir. I couldn’t believe Maggie had told her about that.” “You were in the church choir?” Carl asked, surprised.“Yeah, and I probably still would be if I didn’t have work on Sunday mornings. I really liked it. That was my first solo and I wanted to stand at the front, but because I was tall, they had me in the back. Michonne said I should just move down front when my solo started. It was very controversial.” She smiled as she remembered it.“You did it?”“Of course I did. Got in trouble with the choir director and everything. But Daddy was happy that Michonne made Maggie go to church, he didn’t even care, and my solo was so good I got to keep it.” She smiled, confidently, and Carl laughed, always amused by how bold she was, “I like that they smile together, your dad and Michonne.”“Me too.” “Maggie! Camera, get the camera!” Maggie and Michonne jumped as Glenn called out and they hopped up, running over as Rick and Glenn sat next to each other, slowly adding small twigs to the pile in front of them. Maggie started to record and Michonne covered her mouth, trying to keep from laughing at how serious they were. A breeze came through and their small flame flickered, and when they looked up, she moved quickly to help shield the flame.When the fire finally took shape, everyone went quiet as the string caught on fire and Glenn and Rick continued to add sticks, watching as it became more obvious the string would snap. When it broke in two, they all cheered and it only took one high five for Rick to pull back gripping his shoulder. Glenn was apologetic and Rick assured him he was fine. When he walked over to Michonne she was shaking her head and smiling.“Ready to take a break?” She asked and he nodded as they moved to chairs in a private area. She handed him a bottle of water and let Maggie know to shout as soon as she needed help with the cake.“Did you see that?” He asked and she smiled as she sat down next to him, his good arm draping over her shoulders.“I saw that. In fact, now that there’s video, I have a feeling I’ll be seeing that over and over and over again. I’ll ask Maggie to send it to you so you can show Carl.”“My Dad taught me how to do that when I was a kid. I never even thought about showing Carl. He used to teach me how to do all kinds of things I was sure I’d never need to know. We spent a whole day once, when he was trying to teach me how to prep an animal trap.”“I think Carl would enjoy having you teach him how to prep a trap.” Michonne shrugged, relaxing against him.“Really?” Rick asked.“He has a very curious mind. He likes knowing how to do things as long as he’s allowed to question why something is happening, which is important to nurture.”“Speaking of, I had a lot of questions from Mr. Curious Mind about us earlier today.”“Oh?” Michonne tried to sound calm, but she had been nervous that one of the kids may be uncomfortable and Carl was the most aware.“He asked if he would still be able to talk to you at school, and what he should call you.”“And you said?”“I told him that at school he should probably call you Ms. Hawthorne, but that he could ask you. I was pretty sure there were no issues with him talking to you, but that it might not be the best situation to have him in your class.”“I still need to talk to Deanna. I don’t think it will be a problem, but I also don’t want to put him in a weird situation, so I do think it might be best for him to not be in my class. The English department at Secondary is pretty strong though, I think now that he’s more comfortable, he’ll do well with any of the other teachers.” Michonne nodded to herself thinking about which teacher she thought would be best for him.“I’m not supposed to tell you, but I wanted to give a heads-up because I think he really wants you there and I know he’s going to ask. The last day of his camp is at the end of next week and they’re doing an exhibition. You know how he’s been working on a robot with his group?”“Echo 7.”“Yes,” Rick smiled, “Echo 7. I guess we’ll get to see her do an obstacle course and other stuff. He was going to ask you earlier but I think he got a bit hung up on what he wanted to say.”“Send me the date. I’ll pull Andre from daycare, I bet he would love to see all the robots. I promise I will act surprised when he brings it up.” Rick nodded and when Michonne turned she saw him trying to turn his head to hide a yawn.“You are exhausted.”“I’m not.” Rick shook his head and she laughed, “Maybe I am a little tired.” “You want to head home?” Michonne prepared herself to be disappointed.“Nope, I want to sit here, just like this.” He tightened his arm around her and she smiled.“Should I ask Maggie to send us the fire video?”“Please!”
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Michonne watched as Andre abandoned his book and ran out of the room that had been allocated for children’s books. She called out to him and was surprised as he picked up speed, “Andre!” By the time she stood up, she watched as Carl picked him up and she put her hand on her chest to take a breath.“Hey!” Carl greeted her as he walked over, setting his backpack in the open chair next to her before he put Andre down.“I know it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, but it can’t have been long enough for you to get your driver’s license.” Michonne looked around and Carl laughed.“My Dad will be in soon. Jude needed a diaper change.”“She’s still in diapers?” Andre asked, letting his mouth hang open and Michonne rolled her eyes.“Just like you were up until a little over a year ago, be nice.”“I want to show you the toys in the back,” Andre reached out and grabbed Carl’s hand, pulling it gently. “Wait, I want all these books cleaned up. Give me the ones you want to check out and put the other ones back, then you can show Carl the toys.” Michonne closed the book she had been reading and placed it on the table.“Can’t I show him first?”“No, you may not.” Michonne watched Andre pout as he walked over to the pile he’d accumulated and started to sort through them.“Did I send you the newest pictures of Echo 8?”“No, but my goodness, by the time this program is over she’ll be older than you.” Michonne smiled as he held out his phone.“No, this should be our final. We had to fix her left arm, you see?” Carl zoomed in on the photo and pointed at the small change they’d made.“She looks good! Did you all figure out what was giving you the issue with the coding?”“Yes! We worked backwards like you suggested, we had just missed one thing.” Carl paused, remembering how frustrated he had been. They’d hit a wall as a group on how to fix it and his teacher had been busy helping another group. When he went to lunch, he sent a text to Michonne just to vent and she let him know that anytime she was working on something that was working and then stopped working, she just thought about anything she had changed and that helped pinpoint the issue.“I’m glad, it sounds like she’s all set!”“So you know I told you that we’re going to put her through that obstacle course?” He asked and Michonne nodded, “That’s on Friday, and we’re supposed to invite people, so I wondered, if you’re not busy and you didn’t mind, if you would come. Only if you want to, it’s a little bit of a drive and I know it’s summer for you. You probably have fun English stuff you’d rather be doing and not-“ Michonne laughed and he looked over at her.“I would love to come.” She saw his shoulders relax, “I can’t wait to see what she can do. Do you mind if I bring Andre?”“No, and you know what? Echo 3 is like a really small version of our bot. I bet I could code it to say his name or something and it wouldn’t throw anything off.”“I think he would think that was very cool. To be honest, I think that’s pretty cool. I have a meeting with Principal Monroe in a couple of days to finalize budgets, so we should have more information on the club. I told her I’d sign on as a co-sponsor, now we just need to find someone who actually knows something about robots.”“I bet Mr. Morrison would do it. Max says he’s the one who suggested the class to him.”“He’s computer science, right?” Michonne asked as she made a note in her phone.“Yeah, I want to take one of his classes next year.”“Well, we can talk to Mr. Rhee about that. I bet those fill up fast.”“Um, if you’re going to co-sponsor the robotics club, does that mean you’ll be at all of our meetings?” Carl asked.“Most of them. There’s always a chance something could come up, but most of them.”“Cool.” Carl smiled to himself and Michonne felt happy at his response to it.“All done!” Andre walked over holding four books and held them up to Michonne for her to add to her stack, “Can we go now?”“If Carl would like to go with you, then you can go.”“Will you go look at the toys with me?” Andre asked, already leaning against Carl who nodded.“Yeah, let’s go.”Michonne crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, watching as Andre pointed out each toy to Carl and smiled as she saw him show genuine interest, even asking follow-up questions on some of them.“Hey.” Rick walked into the room with Judith, who was making her best attempt to escape his arms, fighting to be put down in the colorful room. As he leaned in to kiss Michonne, Judith squealed and Rick looked around the library to apologize to anyone who was looking over, “Ok, ok, hold your horses.” He placed her on the ground and she crawled over to the padded area, stopping at a pile of cloth books that someone had left behind.“Oooh, I have to show you where the sensory books that Andre loved are. He couldn’t get enough of those.”“I didn’t get a chance to come back here before. This is nice.” Rick looked around, taking in all the different bookcases and play spaces for the kids.“That’s where they do the music circle, you see they’re already setting up.” Michonne pointed over to a back corner, “Next week they’re doing a little painting class. Andre isn’t 100% certain he wants to go because Aunt Maggie lets him be as messy as he wants and here, he has to show some decorum.”“I completely understand,” Rick smiled and leaned in to kiss Michonne again.“Grimes, you didn’t tell me your girlfriend was hot. No wonder you’re always smiling at that damn phone.” Abraham laughed as he made eye contact with Rick and then looked down as he felt a tug on his shirt.“Daddy…”“Sorry Bec, I was just saying hello.”“Unfortunately, that is exactly how I would expect you to say hello.” Rick stood and Michonne glanced one more time at Carl and Andre who were still distracted before standing as well. Abraham walked over and Michonne felt Judith look through her legs, trying to see who they were talking to, “Abe, this is Michonne, and her son Andre is over there with Carl.”“Nice to meet you,” Abe held out his hand for Michonne to shake and she smiled at him, having heard plenty of stories.“Nice to meet you as well. Who’s this?” Michonne looked down, smiling and Abe put his hand on his daughter’s back.“This is my daughter Becca.”“Hi Becca. Would you like me to introduce you to my son and Carl? Or did you want to look around a bit?” Michonne pointed over at Carl and Andre and watched as Becca considered her options.“Daddy, can I go play with them?” She looked up at Abe who nodded.“Hell yeah.”“Stop cussing in here!” Rick said through gritted teeth as he smiled awkwardly at a mom who was looking over at them. Michonne took Becca’s hand and started to walk away, stumbling as she realized that Judith had gripped her pants.“Come on, let’s go see what these boys are up to.” She lowered and scooped Judith up and they continued over to Andre and Carl.“You trying to get us kicked out of a music circle?” Rick raised his brows.“This is a library, Rick. Wars have been started over the written word; I doubt they’ll care if I cuss a little.” Abraham sat in Michonne’s abandoned chair and put his feet on the small table in front of them. “That’s good, right?” Rick lifted his chin toward Becca who was laughing shyly at something Michonne had just said, “Your daughter being here?”“It’s something. Probably too early to say if it’s good, but I asked and she said yes, so I’m taking it.” Abe cleared his throat, “My son said he wasn’t interested.” Rick looked over at the sound of Carl’s laugh.“Give it some time."Rick and Abraham caught up while the kids played and Michonne added a couple more books to her pile that she planned to check out. When they heard the announcement for the music circle starting, they took Judith and Andre over and Judith let out another shrill scream when Rick tried to pull her out of Michonne’s arms for Andre to sit. When Andre pouted, Rick asked if he would sit with him since Judith didn’t want to and Andre immediately took off to get instruments for each of them.Rick was surprised at how much he enjoyed the music circle. He did his best to keep up with the librarian who was giving them instruction, and even had to have Andre help him when he kept missing his queue to ding the triangle. They invited Carl to join them in the circle, but he’d opted instead to sit at one of the tables and was reading through a stack of comics that he’d picked out.When Becca told Michonne it was her first time in the library, she had asked one of the librarians to give them a tour of the building, and also let them know about some of the events coming up. Abe didn’t love the idea of taking the guided tour, but found himself making note of where they would find more books that she might like as the tour went on.Andre fell asleep before Judith, resting on Rick’s chest as they cleaned up the mess of toys and instruments and Michonne found it hard to look away.“Looks like she’s about to pass out too.” They both looked down to see Judith fighting sleep, her eyelids heavy as she tried to sit up.“I was planning on doing burgers for dinner, you all want to come over? These two can finish their naps, and then we can all have dinner?” Michonne offered and Rick looked over at Carl who was packing up his things.“What do you think Carl? Should we do dinner at Michonne’s?” Rick smiled at Michonne, knowing what his response would be.“Tonight?” Carl asked.“Yeah, we’ll go now.”“Yes! I’m gonna go check my books out.” Carl smiled excitedly and walked over to the counter, rushing.“What about you Abe? Can I interest you and Becca in an impromptu barbecue?” Michonne offered, adjusting Judith on her hip.“I promised her mom I’d have her back right after.” He saw the disappointment on Becca’s face, “But maybe next week, if we come to that painting thing – maybe we can plan to do something then.” She smiled at him and nodded.“That’ll be the day after Carl’s camp ends, so I think we can pull something together at our house.” Rick offered and Abe quickly accepted. He and Becca said their goodbyes.“Can I invite Max to come over next weekend?” Carl approached, having heard the exchange.“Yeah – who is Max?” Rick asked.“He’s a kid at my camp, but we also go to school together,” Carl said, clearly annoyed at having previously mentioned his friend. Rick looked at Michonne who shrugged. They hadn’t talked much about people at the school knowing they were together, and Carl inviting one of her former students over may create an awkward situation.“I think it’s a great idea to invite Max.” She smiled and Carl pulled his phone out, obviously messaging him to extend the invitation, “It’s fine.”“Can we go?” Carl asked, putting his phone away, “Do I get to help with the grill?” He looked at his dad, excited at the idea.“Your dad doesn’t get to help with the grill. He’s been carrying around a 35-pound toddler for an hour and isn’t very good at hiding that he’s exhausted.”“I’m fine!” Rick adjusted Andre in his arms and Michonne rolled her eyes as she handed a sleeping Judith to Carl as he laughed. Michonne gently pulled Andre from Rick’s arms and they started to walk toward the front door.“So, since Dad can’t help, I can, right? He just showed me how to start the fire.”“Of course,” Michonne answered.“I am fine!” Rick followed behind and felt his heart start racing as Michonne looked back with a teasing smile.“Carl, message your grandmother to see if she wants to come over for dinner. That way all three of us can keep an eye on him.” Deanna flipped to the next slide in her presentation, letting the group know she was almost done. She hated pulling the teachers together during their summer break as much as they hated coming in, but it couldn’t be avoided, and it was a good way to stay connected. Michonne and Glenn were seated near the back. She had gotten the chance to speak briefly to Tate Morrison, the teacher that Carl had suggested as a co-sponsor for the club. He seemed honored at her request and even more touched once he’d found out it was two students that had suggested his name. She let him know she was hoping to have a final answer after she met with Deanna and that she’d be in touch.It had been a mistake for Glenn and Michonne to sit next to each other, they had a bad habit of getting easily distracted in long meetings, and within five minutes of Deanna’s presentation, Glenn had initiated a game of Words with Friends for them to play.“Alright. I think that’s all I have. Questions?” Deanna paused and let the awkward silence linger, knowing that most people wouldn’t want to ask anything that would keep people hostage for longer than necessary, “Ok, well, feel free to send me an email if you think of anything. I’ll see you all in a few weeks.” There was a flurry of movement as the staff stood, saying their goodbyes and having a few last-minute conversations.“How long are you going to be? You want to grab lunch?” Glenn asked.“If you want to wait. It’s booked for 30 minutes, but I don’t know if it’ll be that long.”“I’ll hang in the lounge, swing by when you’re finished.”“Who won?” Deanna asked as she approached them, and Glenn and Michonne muffled their laughs and looked down.“I did.” Michonne finally answered and Deanna rolled her eyes, unable to stop from smiling as she walked out of the auditorium and Michonne followed her. “So, you saw the final budget I sent out last night?” Deanna asked, settling into her desk chair.“I did, it looked good. It looks like if we want to enter any competitions we may need to do some fundraising, but I don’t think that should be a problem.”“Did you get a chance to talk to Tate?”“Yeah, he said he would love to sign-on, thank goodness, because I’ve seen what the kids are up to, and I would have been lost.” Michonne laughed and Deanna updated the notes on a spreadsheet on-screen.“There’s some excitement around this one. The superintendent likes the idea of sharing more advancements in STEM, so congrats on the suggestion, it was well received.”“Oh, it was really all Carl. He’s the interested one, I just thought it would be a cool idea and I know in our second year we’re supposed to have signed on for a club. About that, I was wondering if I could talk to you.” Michonne sat up in her seat and Deanna stopped typing to give her full attention.“About the club, or Carl?”“Neither, or I guess, kind of Carl.” Michonne started, “I was looking at the handbook because I have been spending time with the Grimes family.” Deanna’s brows went up as she continued, “Rick and I – I mean, Mr. Grimes, Carl’s father, we’re kind of –““Dating?” Deanna asked.“Yes.” Michonne tried to say as confidently as possible, “I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing any rules about that.”“Generally, we discourage teachers from being in a relationship with a parent while the child is in your class. We don’t want to step into any conflicts of interest. It only takes one child to perceive favoritism and we have an issue on our hands, but there’s no hard rule on it.” Deanna paused to look at Michonne and she couldn’t help but shift in her seat, “What’s Carl think?”“He seems good with it. He hasn’t said anything to his dad or me, so I think he’s good with it.” Michonne answered quickly and Deanna nodded.“Are you asking me if you’re allowed to date him?”“No. I guess maybe I was just following up on our previous conversation.”“Oh?” Deanna leaned forward, smiling as she rested her elbows on her desk, “So this is what you think you want?""Yes. This is what I want." Michonne nodded, confidently.“Well, I’m glad to hear it.” Rick returned Andre’s wave through the window as he watched Michonne park her car. He walked to her door first, opening it and waiting for her to climb out before he greeted her with a kiss, “Sorry we were running late. Andre’s nap went long and I didn’t want to wake him.”“We still have plenty of time. The kids are getting set-up.” He lowered and looked into the backseat where Andre was getting restless in his car seat and kissed Michonne again before walking around and pulling him out.“Mommy said we get to see robots!” Andre said excitedly and Rick nodded.“We do. I think Carl has something special to show you, but he said I didn’t get any hints.” He placed Andre down on his feet and gripped his hand tightly, looking around before they started walking. Andre put his other hand up to hold Michonne’s hand and giggled as they both lifted him to swing between them.“Did you get to look at the schedule for that class?” Michonne asked, looking both ways before they crossed to the building.“Chief said I should start with the technology tools class. If they’re going to have me doing training, I have to be able to create my materials. I haven’t used a computer to do anything other than type up reports – ever.” Rick had scheduled a meeting with his police chief to talk through his concerns about continuing in his position. He wasn’t sure that he was ready to retire, but he didn’t feel comfortable putting himself at risk, knowing what could happen and being scared about the idea that their kids could lose another parent.He hadn’t expected the conversation to go well, but the chief wasn’t all that surprised. He had seen a lot of officers go through a similar process. He asked Rick if he’d ever considered training and development. One of the initiatives that they were working on for the year was to have continuing education for the officers, and they’d received approval to hire someone to support training.Being a police officer is the only thing Rick had ever known, so it was hard to consider walking away, but this felt like an opportunity to hold on while taking himself out of the line of fire. While they were still ironing out what the position would look like, the chief suggested that Rick take a few classes in preparation.“Seems sensible,” Michonne answered.“They have one that is twice a week, but since most of these classes are for adult learners, it’s after work. I don’t like the idea of spending that time away from the kids every week.” He pointed down the hall in the busy building, showing the direction of the room where they’d be meeting Carl.“Well, Carl is going to be doing his club every week. Maybe we can pick the same day so you’re both busy at the same time, if that works for Dawn. Beth was going to handle pick-up for me on those days because she’s working on saving a bit for school. If you needed any help with Judith, I’m sure she’d be happy to.” They turned another corner and she saw the wheels turning in his head. It was a lot to consider after their family had already experienced so much change over the last year and a half.“So, you think it’s a good idea?” Rick paused, causing Andre and Michonne to come to a stop outside of a classroom. Andre looked up, listening, but confused about what they were talking about.“I think that if this is what you want to do, we’ll figure it out,” Michonne said casually and Rick leaned in, holding her face and kissing her.“Mommy, I want to see the robots!” Andre pulled at their hands and they separated.“Alright baby, let’s go see the robots!”Rick chuckled to himself as he pulled the door open and Andre dropped their hands and ran over to where Carl and another boy were crouched in front of something, “Wait, wait, wait, stay right there.” Carl had his hand up and Andre stopped, surprised and a bit nervous. They touched a few more buttons and Michonne pulled her phone out, pointing it at them and then pressing the button to record.“Hello, Andre. It is nice to meet you. My name is Echo 3.” The boys smiled at each other and Andre stood, shocked.“It knows my name! Rick, Mommy, did you hear it?” Andre looked back at them before he walked forward, pausing to look at Carl first who nodded quickly.“You can come see it now.” Carl pointed out a few things on the small robot and repeated the message so that Andre could hear it again.“Max is it?” Rick extended his hand and Max looked up at him, “I’m Rick, Carl’s Dad and this is – ““I know Ms. Hawthorne.” Max and Michonne exchanged smiles.“Max was in my class with Carl last semester. I have to see if you boys can teach Echo 3 to teach Composition. Perhaps I can take a few periods off?”“That would be so cool!” Carl said excitedly.“Is it about time you all got to the auditorium? I thought we had a show to watch.” Rick reminded them and they both started to pack up their things quickly.“Mommy, will you take a picture of me with it?” Andre was leaning close to the robot, still trying to figure it out.“Yes, let’s get one with you,” she snapped the photo, “And another one with all three of you. Max, Carl, will you get in the photo?” They paused and walked over, Carl lifted Andre between them and posed behind the small bot, “Oh it’s perfect.”“Alright, we’ll see you all out there.” Rick and Michonne each took one of Andre’s hands, and they walked out of the room, and she paused, trying to send the photo to Rick, but with the bad service it was taking awhile.“Is she married to your Dad?” Rick and Michonne both leaned back as they heard Max talking to Carl, neither of them realizing they were being eavesdropped on.“Who, Michonne?” Carl asked.“Yeah, Ms. Hawthorne. Is she like your step-mom?”“No.” Carl answered and Rick and Michonne made eye contact, “Not yet.” They froze as Carl stopped speaking, hearing more zippers as the boys finished packing up their equipment. Neither of them could help smiling at what he’d said, Michonne lifted her hand to cover her mouth and Rick felt his cheeks warm.“Mommy, can we –“ Andre started loudly, and knowing Carl and Max would have heard, Rick scooped him up and covered his mouth. They were barely able to take two steps before Carl’s head poked out of the classroom.“I –““We were just going.” Rick tossed a giggling Andre over his shoulder and Michonne walked over to Carl, giving him a hug and smoothing his hair.“We’ll see you out there.” She smiled before she turned to follow Rick and Andre down the hall.“Hey!” Carl called out and Michonne stopped and looked back, “You think there’s a chance you’ll both stay seated during this one?” He gave her a shy smile and she nodded.“Yeah, I think there’s a very good chance.” She opened her purse and tossed him a fun-sized Big Cat, returning the smile she gave him as he caught it. When she got to the auditorium, she looked around, spotting the back of Andre’s head as Rick let him stand in his lap to see the stage. As she walked to her seat, remembering the last time she was seated in an audience next to Rick.“Everything ok?” Rick asked and Michonne nodded, looking at him and smiling.“Yeah, everything is ok.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
18 Months After Rick and Michonne's First Meeting
“Hey!” Michonne tapped lightly on the classroom door next to her and waited for Rosita to look over from her computer screen. She’d waited patiently as the last set of parents had walked out of the room a few minutes ago, but she didn’t want to linger too long in the hallway and end up in an extended conversation.“Come in, I’m just making some notes.” She waved her in and Michonne glanced down the hall before walking in. She looked around the familiar classroom and sat down, yawning and stretching after the long day.“Are you all done for the day?” Rosita asked, typing a few more words and then fully focusing on Michonne.“Yes! Thank goodness. Very happy to take my teacher hat off for the evening.” She looked down at her wrist and then back up at Rosita, “Give me just a minute and I’ll – ““I’m here! Sorry…” Rick walked into the classroom and rushed to the desk. He kissed Michonne on the cheek and then extended his hand to Rosita, “Sorry, Ms. Espinosa. I had our other son at the park, and we ended up in a very competitive soccer game with my friend and his son. Lost track of time.” He looked over at Michonne, who was smiling and shaking her head.“It’s no problem.” Rosita sat up straight in her chair, “It’s unusual that I’d be sitting across from one of my colleagues for a parent teacher conference.”“Well, if it helps, I’ve just spent three hours talking myself, so I’m not at my best.” Michonne smiled, and Rosita relaxed.“So,” she opened the folder in front of her, “Let’s talk about Carl.”Rick and Michonne had been married for 6 months; their families had folded together so seamlessly that when Rick proposed 6 months earlier, and they’d told Carl, his only response had been, “Finally.”“I was just telling him the other day how impressed I am by how well he’s been doing this year.” Rosita flipped the page from his previous record in her class from his first semester at the new school to the current information, and Rick and Michonne smiled at each other.“No outstanding assignments, and he’s currently sitting at an A. I mentioned to him that he may want to consider tutoring since he can speak first hand to how much it helped him.”“How’d that suggestion go over?” Rick asked.“He told me he’d think about it, which felt like a no, but I’ll bring it up again.”“I’m guessing he’s just nervous about the idea of losing his free period. He and his friends like to meet up and play with their bots.” Michonne said.“You think it’d be a good idea though?” Rick asked, leaning back in his seat as Rosita watched them discuss.“I don’t know. I think from a future college application standpoint, it might look good, but he looks forward to that time so much. I’m hesitant to suggest they stop, and he still has so much time to add that kind of extracurricular.”“We’ll mention it and see what he says, but it sounds like it may be something to revisit next year,” Rick said to Rosita, and she made a note.“I actually wanted to set up some time to talk to you and Tate about the club, what did they call it? Code and….” Rosita paused as she tried to recall the name.“Code & Construct.” Michonne still remembered the weeks of meetings it took to pick a name.“Yes. Carl said that he has been using geometry in his club.”“Yeah, something about spatial relationships and the robot in the environment. I’ll be honest, I don’t always understand it. But I know Tate can help to explain. I would say that most of the kids seem more comfortable navigating problems they don’t understand with all the guessing and checking they do for their bots,” Michonne nodded as she thought about all the times she’d watched the kids work through their planning on the whiteboard. “Very interesting. I had no idea.” Rosita’s pen was moving furiously on the page in front of her.“If you want to swing by their next meeting, I’m sure the kids would do a better job of explaining it than Tate or I could.” “I think I would.”“I’ll send over the schedule, and you’re more than welcome to come by.” Michonne pulled out her phone to forward the quick email. Rick was scrolling on his and looked up at Rosita after he zoomed in.“It looks like he has the test on Monday, but is there anything else coming up that we need to be aware of.” Rick paused to listen, and Michonne looked over at him, a sneaky smirk on her lips. This was the second parent-teacher conference they’d attended together, but she would always have flashbacks to how overwhelmed he seemed by the first one with her. She had enjoyed seeing him never disengage with how school was going for Carl.When Andre started Kindergarten months ago, Rick had printed off a copy of the calendar month by month so that he could make notes more easily on anything specific that Andre might need for that day. She saw his face change slightly when they completed the paperwork during his enrollment, making sure it was noted that he was an emergency contact for Andre. They’d never updated the information for his preschool, so when he watched her fill it in, she didn’t miss his eyelids closing faster as he got a little emotional.“Next week, we’ll start a discussion on the project that they’ll be working on until the end of the semester. They’ll get to choose between two different things. Game Theory and Strategy, where they will analyze a game like tic-tac-toe or chess using game theory or Probability and Statistics in Sports, where they’ll talk about sports data like free-throw percentages.”Rick and Michonne both made notes. Without saying anything out loud, they knew that Carl would choose Game Theory and Strategy. Michonne was writing down that she wanted to pick up a chess set so that she and Carl could play, and Rick was writing down that he wanted to look deeper into game theory.“I love that idea. Are you all going to talk about the Nash equilibrium?”“Yes, but don’t steal my thunder and talk to him about it this weekend.” Rosita teased and Michonne put her hands up.“I promise.” They exchanged smiles and Rosita leaned back in her seat.“If you all don’t have any other questions for me, I don’t have anything else. It’s amazing to see the growth that Carl has had in the last 18 months. Obviously, it’s exciting to see him doing well with the material, but he seems so much more comfortable at school as well.” Rick and Michonne smiled at each other before they both stood. Rick shook Rosita’s hand and moved Michonne’s chair out of her way.“Thank you, Ms. Espinosa.”“See you on Monday!” Michonne waved as they walked out of the class.“You have everything you need?” Rick asked and Michonne nodded.“Yes, let’s get out of here.” She looked around, hoping to dodge any parents who may have follow-up questions for her, and Rick wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked easily together. Michonne was yawning in the passenger seat of Rick’s truck. He’d dropped her and Carl off at school that morning, knowing he’d be attending the parent-teacher conference later that day. When he made a left turn on the street they’d normally be going straight on, she turned in her seat and caught him smiling.“What are you up to, Grimes?”“Nothing.” He made another turn and chuckled, knowing she was on high alert. A few minutes later, when he turned again, she realized where they were going.“What are we doing here?” She looked at the dark house and waited as Rick climbed out and came to her door to open it.“No questions.” He stood in place as she climbed down from his truck and they kissed until Rick pulled back and took her hand.He unlocked the door, and when they walked in, Michonne looked around as he flipped the light switch on. She and Andre had moved into Rick’s house 6 months ago, and they’d been making some minor improvements on her house until they were ready to rent it out. She smiled as she walked through the empty rooms. It had been over a month since she’d been by the house, and she still had so many great memories.“Come on.” Rick tugged at her hand still in his, and they walked through the kitchen and out onto the small patio. When she saw the lights in the trees and the same tablecloth he’d used on their first date, she put her hand to her mouth.“You made jambalaya again?”“Yes, and I’d say this time it’s better than it was before.”“So, there was no soccer game?” Michonne tilted her head, looking up at him.“Oh, there was absolutely a soccer game, Andre and I kicked Abe and AJ’s asses. But that went over and then pushed me behind on getting everything ready here.”“I love it.” Michonne leaned forward, smiling into the kiss.“There are sweats upstairs in the bedroom for you to change into. I’ll get everything ready down here.” He kissed her on the cheek, and she walked back through the house, walking up to her former bedroom and stopping when she saw the bed was made with her clothes placed neatly on top. She sat down on the bed and looked around, remembering when she first moved into the house and how scared she’d been.Andre was so young, and she couldn’t believe she’d walked away from everything that she knew. She remembered sitting in this same spot and talking herself out of packing everything back up and going back to her job in Atlanta. She smiled as she slipped into the comfy outfit that had been left for her, throwing her hair up in an easy ponytail and feeling so much better after the day she’d had at work.When she walked back out on the patio, she was happy to find Rick had already put everything out on the table, “Am I allowed to ask questions now?” She looked at him as she sat down in the seat across from him.“I’ll allow it.”“Who is watching those children of ours?” She pulled her napkin and placed it in her lap.“Carl is sleeping over at Max’s house, and Andre and Judith are with Maggie and Glenn. The last update I got from Glenn was that Andre didn’t want to use bumpers when they were bowling.”“How long did that last?”“Two gutter balls,” Rick answered, and they both laughed.“So, are we staying here all night?”“That will be up to you, but it seemed like a perfect opportunity to pretend we were on a little vacation. That way, we can act like we don’t have to go to a soccer game tomorrow morning.”“You love those soccer games.” Michonne smiled as she sipped her drink, and Rick immediately launched into how well the team had been doing.She had always felt strongly that Andre should participate in team sports, so when he asked to play soccer, she signed him up. A few days later, she was surprised to learn that Rick had proposed the Sheriff’s office sponsor a team, with him and Abe stepping in as coaches. Despite receiving three complaints from parents about Abe’s communication style with the kids, things had gone really well. Ever since Rick had transitioned into training at the precinct, it had been nice for them to still have time together and Rick had promised him that if he coached Andre’s team with him, he would do the same for one of his kids.“I figured that we could also use tonight to decide how we wanted to tell the kids.” Rick ate a bite of food as she watched him.“We want to tell them now?” She asked, moving her hand to rest it on her stomach.“Don’t you think we should?” Rick raised his brows, “We need to start having conversations about the house if we’re going to stay there or look for something larger. I’ve got to let them know at work so they can plan for my absence. Hell, I just want to be able to tell everyone.” Michonne smiled as he finished, remembering how happy they’d been when they saw the positive pregnancy test. She was 14 weeks along, and it had been a tough but fun secret to keep.“How do you think the kids will react?”“Judith will be excited, mainly because I don’t think she’ll completely know what’s going on. Andre may not be thrilled at first, but he loves Judith so I can’t imagine he wouldn’t warm up to the baby. Carl has surprised me so much since we got together.”“What do you mean?” She asked.“I always knew that Lori and I wouldn’t have another child,” They shared a glance as they considered Judith, and Lori’s relationship with Shane, “But Carl loves being a big brother. You see the way he loves including them. Watching him become such a good big brother has been fun to watch.”“Well, I am happy to start telling people if you are. We can tell the kids tomorrow after the game.”“You hear that, RJ? We finally get to start telling everyone about you buddy.” Rick talked to Michonne’s stomach like he did so often, and she let her hand glide easily, both of them assuming they heard all of it.“You have to stop calling them RJ when we don’t know if it’s a boy or girl yet. I don’t know if Jude and I are ready to be outnumbered.”“Is this us pretending that Carl won’t always take your side?” Rick asked and Michonne nodded as she smiled.“Yes.” They played footsy under the table as they enjoyed the rest of their meal, the comfortable silences allowing them to think about their week and how nice it was to enjoy the quiet. When Michonne yawned a second time Rick stood up.“Let’s get you to bed.” He took her hand and watched as she looked around the yard.“You didn’t bring the hammock over?” She joked and he smiled.“I figured we could do a bath instead to make up for the absence of the hammock and stars this time around.” She nodded as they started to walk, and Rick stopped, swallowing before he cleared his throat, letting his hand rest on her stomach and looking at the table they’d just left, “I told you that night I was hoping you were brave enough to give me a chance. This is a life I never thought I’d ever have. You and the kids – I,” He swallowed, and Michonne nodded as she pulled him closer, feeling how flustered he was getting.“I love you.”“I love you too.”