Dear reader,
I have corrected and added some thing to this story that I had previously posted.
English is not my mother tongue thus there might be some errors.
This is an AU TWD - richonne centric tale happening in Atlanta (2017).
5 years ago.
"What do you mean by, urhm, you can't do this?" He asked bewilderment placated onto his face. His eyebrows were furrowed and he couldn't help but shift in his seat, trying to be calm - trying being the key word since he was a minute away from exploding.
It felt as if she had stabbed him with a knife.
Michonne just stood there, her arms crossed across her ample chest covered by a v-necked satin dress. She shook her head lightly, she couldn't help but regret how such a great night turned sour after two small words such as I can't.
They were currently enjoying their desert in a new gastronomic African restaurant, 'La villa Massai' that had open up a few months ago. Rick had to place a reservation, a month before since the place quickly became popular. He wanted to treat her to a fine restaurant in order to thank her for everything that she does, not only for him but also for his daughter.
The white, beige and brown decoration gave an intimate feeling to the restaurant. The light of the chandelier above them enhanced the glow of her skin. As usual, they had a pleasant discussion about any and everything.
The shock and anger written onto the face of the man facing her were foreign to her and in perfect contrast with the smile that adorned his face through most of the night.
She knew that he had a short temper, that he was quarrelsome and couldn't keep his calm for long but she was never the receptionist of any of his outburst.
"I can't, that's as simple as that. To be honest, it's not even that, I, just, I, I won't." As her words flowed through, his anger rose and embarrassment crept in. Her, this woman who was is everything just denied him. He felt played. He thought that they felt the same thing, that the love that made him do silly things out of his comfort zone just to please her, the love that ate away his sanity and made her his master was the same that made her this affectionate, caring and compassionate. "Le jeu n'en vaut pas la chandelle." (expression that means 'it isn't worth it' in French) She added, pushing the knife even deeper in his chest.
Being so crude was in her habitude as a man-eating woman, but not to Rick. Love stories were not really her thing, one night stand as well, she preferred short passionate adventures. Her philosophy drove her into the arms of various man with whom she would spend a great time before going back to her perfectly ordered life. With Rick, it had been different. She always kept him around, he was apart of her everyday life he wasn't a distraction. "We have such a great connection, our relationship is perfect I don't know why you think that it would be great to complicate it with a title and obligations to one another."
"Probably because it is the next logical step. I mean, we have known each other for five years. There is, definitely, something between us, way more than friendship. You basically live in my house, you helped me raise Judith. She loves you, and I, I.."
She rudely interrupted his speech by lifting her hand in the air, signaling him to stop talking. His frown deepened at her attitude
"Please, stop." Her hand found his, that was clutching with toughness - and slightly deforming- the desert spoon, she gave it a simple squeeze. "You know that we both want really different things right now maybe when we will be on the same page but right now I won't rush into something with you knowing damn well that it is not what is best. I love our relationship and I value it, you know that. This is why I won't let you destroy it with your foolish desire." A smile was on her face as she twisted the knife that she had planted in his heart with her words spoken in such a modulated voice.
Rick's stomach sank at the realization that who, he thought of as his soul mate, just friend-zoned him and even worse, tried to feed him some lost hope.
"I don't want to lose any time, though. It feels as if you are just scared to commit." His fingers brushed her knuckles lightly as he stared at her. Under her gaze, he felt cast under a spell. Him who towered her greatly in height and who could easily carry her over his shoulder.
"Oh please, don't try to portrait me as a broken woman. I am not, it has nothing to do with some commitment issues. We just don't want the same thing and what I will not do is compromise for your selfish wants. The only thing that worries me, in all this, is the end of our relationship."
"Fear is what prevents a woman from taking a man, but I'll let you do you." A distraught Rick declared. As a fuming Michonne was about to argue, he called a waiter asking for the addition.
Five years later.
"Keep calm, Rick." Michonne said amusement laced into her tone, a wine glass in her hand as she watched a stressed Rick passing her open-kitchen for the hundredth time. "We can trust her. She is sixteen years old, we cannot baby her for the rest of her life."
"I know that but what if she tries to heat up something in the oven and, just like that, the house catches fire and boum!" He mimed an explosion with his hands, to dramatize even more his statement. "The house explodes." He looked at the calm Michonne nursing her drink, with an eyebrow raised as if he was challenging her to have an appropriate answer to his - according to him possible - speculation.
"You are so overdramatic." She snorted uglily as Rick stared at her with a serious look, his arms now crossed.
Whipping a tear that left her eye, she fell into laughter once again at her friend seriousness. When she finally calmed down, she snapped a quick picture of him with her brand new iPhone sending it quickly to his daughter via her Instagram DM's with the caption; ''The big bad wolf is out of it again''.
"I ain't. That's a serious matter. I should have never let you convince me to let Judith have the house for her sixteenth birthday."
Convincing him had been a hard task. For a month straight, the teenager was on her best behavior - cleaning the house, coming home right after school, baking her dad's favorite cookies, spending as much time with her old man as possible and so on. When she finally asked her dad about her project of having a house party for her birthday he couldn't help but fall into a deep laughter that she joined with an anxious laugh on her own that betrayed her anticipation before he replied with a dry 'no'. She consulted Michonne, who, as usual, supported her idea. A week after her failed attempt, she presented to her dad and Michonne a powerpoint of ten pages explaining why she was responsible enough, why she deserved a party and what she had planned to do.
During her whole presentation, Michonne was smiling at her when Rick wasn't looking, encouraging her and coaching her to breath when she was talking to quickly - betraying her nervousness. Rick deciphered rapidly Michonne's help and addressed it, forcing her to admit. Pleading for Judith's cause as if she was in front of a client of her firm, she explained why she felt as if he should let her have the house. Sighing, he agreed, what earned him a huge hug from two of the main ladies of his heart.
"But you did though. Aaaaand, you made your daughter very happy. She was so happy when we prepared her party." Michonne said gushing over the memories of this morning when they were organizing everything for Judith's sweet 16 birthday.
The young girl had decided to have a total look black party. Not much had to be done since the food would be delivered by the Asian catering company that they had engaged - and that Rick paid -. The wedding-style like birthday cake with her photo on top of the first level that they had ordered - and that Rick paid for - had already been delivered, the flat was already clean and the table was already laid.
Preparing Judith was the hard task. Michonne had made various appointments for the star of the day; one for her hair, one for her nails and one for her make up. Judith and Michonne had a mother-daughter like relationship. After all, Judith had known Michonne since she was six years old and her mother, Lori, was already barely present. The first weeks after their meeting had been rocky, the six years old who was not accustomed to compete with other women for her dad's attention, saw the relationship that Michonne had with her father as a bad one however with gifts and a conversation -as serious as it is possible to have with a six years old- Michonne proved that she was not a threat. Ever since, they bonded.
"You are the best father."
"You've been kind of an amazing mom, too. It's not every twenty-somethings that was still in college that would have taken under her wing a six-year-old and her twenty-five years old broken father."
Michonne really had adopted the single father and his daughter quickly. After meeting Judith, four months after meeting Rick.
Thank God for dark skin, Michonne thought as her skin heightened up at Rick's statement. She put a finger in one of his jeans belt hoop and yanked him toward her. She pressed a lingering kiss near his mouth, onto his full beard. His breathing picked up, he balled his fist and looked at her. "Don't." He said in a throaty whisper. She slowly retreated to her seat, full of mixed feelings checking her phone seeing a few notifications among them two from 'Jude'.
"Jude's said that she is about to blow her candles, I can't believe that we are missing that." She childishly pouted, shoulders slumped.
He sent her a knowing smirk, that she quickly responded to by with one of her own, before they raced to get her car keys before dashing to the door.
Five minutes later and they were in her car, as she was driving, the song 'love' out of the latest album of Kendrick Lamar was playing. Rick was humming softly to the song. After a decade of knowing one another, their styles intertwined. Rick, the small town boy, grew to love hip hop, rap, jazz, blues even Naija (= Nigerian) and Congolese rumba while Michonne slightly tolerated some country songs whereas she still claimed that the only country song that was worth it was daddy's lesson by Beyonce in her latest album Lemonade. Michonne's teachings made it easier for him to understand his 16 years old teenager universe.
"Okay, so" She started, dragging the 'o', taking a quick glance at her companion before focusing back on the road looking for the parking entrance of his apartment complex. "What's the plan? We cannot burst into her party or stay too long."
"Yeah, let's pretend that you've forgotten your purse or something." He said nonchalantly, before exiting the car that she had previously parked.
The elevator ride was quick and they could already hear the loud trap music. 'Gucci gang' by Lil pump was playing at Rick's despair. Michonne tried to open the door as quietly as possible but before pushing it open she took a look at Rick. She adjusted his cap on his head, untucked his jean shirt from his jean, and sighed looking at his worn-out cowboy boots. "Judith will kill you for wearing those." She declared pointing at his shoes, as a response, he immediately rolled his eyes - a habit that he and his daughter had taken from her.
After glancing at him with hooded eyes, Michonne opened the door quietly. She silently thanked God that there was no one in the corridor as they made their way to the stairs of his duplex. On the steps, they finally had a view upon the two dozen high school girls who were dancing and chanting wildly to the song. Judith was in the small crowd, making a video for snapchat with a few girls.
Michonne and Rick smiled to one another, looking at Judith who had resumed her dancing.
"I told you that we could trust her! Nothing is burning, nothing is exploding, there ain't no boys…" She nudged him with her shoulder. Rick appeared to be in deep thoughts despite the genuine smile on his face. His baby girl was definitely growing.
Being a single father had not been an easy task. After her mother's departure due to her depression postpartum that seemed to be everlasting, twenty years old Rick was left with a two years old baby girl. The baby did not seem to be bothered by her mother's absence after all, since her birth her parent only did the bare minimum with her. Lori reached out for her daughter a year after her disappearing act, giving as an excuse the pressure from getting pregnant at eighteen, being forced to grow up and their rushed wedding. After an easy divorce with Rick, she tried to make some connections with her daughter to no avail. Nowadays, Judith barely saw her biological mother who now lived in North Dakota with her new husband. She just flew there a month for summer and saw her if her mother came to visit family in King County.
Michonne stepped up, where she left off and when Rick couldn't understand. For instance, when Judith had her period for the first time at school she called Michonne and she was the one who came to retrieve her from there. She, then, proceeded to explain to her why she had it, how it works, what are her options and so on. To Rick's relief, she had saved him from an awkward talk. This kind of Michonne intervention reminded him and his daughter of Lori's absence and the blessing that is the presence of the other woman.
"I guess. She is growing up so quickly though." He said, his gaze still fixated on his daughter who was now posing next to her ridiculously giant cake.
"Yeah, you did so well with her though. She is about to blow her candles!" She whispered-yelled excitedly catching a glance at her nostalgic friend before looking at Judith who was blowing her candles. "I think that I am going to cry actually." Her eyes were glossy she looked at Rick who, to her surprise, was already shedding a few tears. She laughed lightly, trying her best to be quiet at the sight. He was definitely overprotective.
"Come on, mamma bear, we need to get home before miss sixteen over there find us, more especially you." She said before pushing lightly her friend down the stairs with a small giggle.
Three hours later, at two in the morning, after going back to her house to binge-watch Archer on Netflix, Michonne and Rick, were back at his duplex since the party had ended.
To their surprise, everything had already been cleaned by Judith and her two best friends who were spending the night at his house. Imani was Judith best friend and the first that she made when she went to school in Atlanta for the first time. She was a bubbly African American teenager who was always following various trends. Her other friend, Samantha, was a redhead who acted as if she was a grown up since they've known her at 12 years old.
They both had a major crush on Rick that tended to bother Judith. Due to the fact that he was one of the youngest and hottest dad of Judith's high school, they were not the only who had one. At thirty-five, he stood out among the other parents of sixteen years old who were into their fifties. Judith who was somewhat embarrassed by her classmates stupid crush tended to make her dad wait for her in the car.
The teenagers ranted to them about the party and how awesome and grandiose it had been while Judith hugged her dad and showcased to Michonne the snaps taken by her guests.
"You are the coolest, thank you guys. It was just… perfect. Everything I've ever wanted." Judith declared while scrolling through her phone, a wide smile on her face.
"I'm happy if you are even though my bank account ain't." Rick said shrugging a little bit as if to gain a little pity from the girls but he only earned an eye-roll from Michonne.
"Your dad is being dramatic. It wasn't that much and we are just happy that it pleased you."
"By the way, Lori sent me a birthday message. It was sweet, I guess." Judith shrugged nonchalantly, her tone filled with irony as she ended her sentence with a little scoff.
She was used to her biological mother birthday messages that were all the same, every year. 'Happy birthday from mom, can't wait to hear your voice. Xoxo' with two heart emojis. And as usual, during her birthday week, she would receive some expensive gift and a letter with some money in it.
"Can't wait to see the gift. I hope that it will be better than the Guess sunglasses that she copped me for my fifteenth birthday." She winced at the memory of the glasses that had barely left her accessory closet.
Michonne kept quiet and pretended to be busy by tiding up the almost spotless kitchen counter. She did not feel comfortable talking about Lori. The two of them barely knew each other and preferred it that way. The first time they met it was at a downtown café because Lori who had, at the time, tried to make a fulgurant come back in her daughter life wanted to meet the woman who occupied such a special place in her ex-husband and daughter life. The exchange had been short and factual. None of them really interested in the other. Michonne thought that Lori was a sorry excuse of a mother but never spoke badly about her in front of Judith, she only did when she was with her girlfriends Maggie, Sasha and Andrea.
The teenager was about to resume her talking but her dad's ringtone cut her. He answered on the first ring, lifted one finger before leaving the room to start talking. Judith released an exasperated sigh. She looked at Michonne who smiled lightly waiting for the teenager to speak her mind, what she did after watching her dad escalating the stairs.
"That's prolly is new girlfriend Eve."
"I met her, she is… different than the others." Michonne said in a modulated voice, her eyebrows raised and she shared a knowing glance with Judith.
"For sure she is, I mean between the last two, Gladys, and oh God, the horrible owl woman Jessie and, her, Eve there is a huge" She dragged the last syllable for emphasis. "difference. Eve is, like a other you." Michonne frowned at her statement. "She really does. Like, her skin tone is the same as yours, she rocks dreadlocks." Michonne replied with a dismissive hand wave.
However, in reality, she couldn't help but agree with his daughter. Eve really looked physically like her and it was quite frightening. They could easily pass as relatives even sisters. Michonne shared her thoughts about Rick's significant other of the moment with her best friend, Andrea who had fallen in a fit of laughter at her friend's tale, however, she quickly ascended when she saw the Instagram account of Eve - that Michonne had previously found after digging in Rick's following.
Did it bother her? Yes. She had no issues with Rick dating. He had been true to his words said five years ago at 'La villa massai' and had let her 'do her'. They both dated and she was currently frequenting a man herself but Rick's actual relationship was unnerving her. In his previous relationships, he always placed her over his current girlfriends. If he was on a date and she said that she was not okay or was not responding quickly enough he would ditch his girlfriend to go see what's the deal with her and she usually did the same for him. Nevertheless, she quickly figured out that it was not because Eve and herself shared a striking and disturbing resemblance but because this relationship was getting serious. Way too serious. It had been going on for five months and she had met Judith which was a huge deal since he never introduced her to random women.
"He seems to appreciate her." Michonne declared, looking at her nails trying to act unbothered. "I need an update on those." She muttered to herself.
"She is really nice." Judith admitted, making Michonne look at her with furrowed brows. She has Judith's approval too? But she quickly replaced it with a fake smile muttering a simple 'great' before urging the girl to go with her friends who were changing in her bedroom.
A few minutes later, Rick came back, a smile plastered on his face. The sight made Michonne suck her teeth.
Something has to be done. Quickly.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading as much as I have enjoyed writing. Feel free to share your thoughts upon this chapter, the characters, the storyline and so on.