"It'll only be a week, I promised ya that. Have I ever broke a promise to ya?" Daryl stopped packing his backpack to look at her; studying her body language. They had been having this fight for the last week since Daryl had decided to fly down to Georgia.
"You promised me when we left you would never go back. It's been five years Daryl; we have a good life here. What makes you think he's changed at all?" She defensively crossed her arms, glaring across their bedroom at him.
Daryl walked over to the doorframe where she leaned watching him pack. He gently reached out; uncrossing her arms as he pulled her into his chest. Daryl felt guilty for breaking two promises to her, but Merle was his brother as much as she didn't like the fact.
"Kota, he's my brother, as much as ya don't like him, he's family. I'm all he's got, I gotta get to him, convince him to come home with me. Ya know I have to do this." Daryl whispered into her hair, breathing in her scent.
He felt hot tears on his neck as she nodded, "I know. But I'm your family too."
"I know baby, and I love ya for it. I promise it'll only be a week. I'll call ya every night and text when I can." Daryl smiled as she pulled away from him, wiping the tears from her green eyes.
Daryl watched her form fade in the rearview mirror as he drove away; some things should never go unsaid.
Daryl woke with a start, glancing around the cell he had claimed as his own. He listened through the silence around him, not hearing any movement. Daryl grabbed for the tattered tan backpack that was always with him, unzipping the top front pocket. He reached inside the pocket, pulling out a well- worn wallet, a cell phone, and a Gaelic cross as well as a gold band dangling from a sliver chain. He tucked the cell phone back into the backpack; the battery was long since dead, but if he could find a charger the phone would still work, at least that was his hope.
Daryl ran his thumbs over the soft leather of his wallet. He remembered when she gave it to him for their first year anniversary of being a couple. Lakhota had cleared out his old wallet while he slept, putting everything into the new one and putting it into the back pocket of his jeans. He had cussed her for throwing out the old one, but she insisted he needed the new one. It was the first gift anyone had gave him in a long time, and he didn't know how to thank her. Going through it every few weeks had become a ritual of sorts. It kept Daryl grounded, remembering that out there, outside this hell, someone was waiting for him. That he had a home waiting for him, needing him to be there. Nothing had changed since the last time he looked through it: the $20 bill was still in there, his driver's license, his credit cards for the ranch, and even his current year hunting and fishing licenses were in there.
But the lone photograph meant more to Daryl than anything else in there. Smiling to himself he remembered when the photo was taken. A year and a few months after they had started dating, Lakhota took Daryl home with her for Christmas to meet her family. He'd never been on a plane before, much less left Georgia. Lakhota had laughed at him, making sure he could get through security quickly by checking what he had on his person. She had even taken him shopping for new clothes for the trip. Merle had given Daryl hell for it, calling him "whipped" and "that girl's personal Ken doll." The fight ensued at that point, both taking a good beating from the other. Daryl was sore on the flight from Atlanta to Missoula, spending most of the layover in Denver walking through the airport.
Lakhota had taken Daryl out with some of her friends to a rodeo, the first he had ever seen. Daryl happened to look over at the friends they were with as Lakhota was chatting with her best friend, Cheyla. Daryl and Lakhota both ended up in the photo Ty took with his cell phone, grinning happily. That was the best Christmas of his life, being the Christmas Daryl asked Lakhota's father John for permission to marry his daughter. John and Mika gave their permission; they thought Daryl was a fine match for their little girl.
Daryl moved out of the trailer he shared with Merle the weekend he came back from Montana. Merle was gone on a bender with who knows who; Daryl had left a note saying he had moved in with Lakhota; but not saying where. Daryl never brought Lakhota down to the trailer; he always met her in town or stayed long weekends at her apartment up at school. Merle had met Lakhota a few times, always making rude comments in her presence, being stoned or just being plain ol' Merle.
Daryl closed his wallet, tucking it into the backpack. He ran his fingers over the necklace, unhooking the clasp. The ring fell into his palm; Daryl turned it over, reading the inscription inside: LDS&DWD 05/22/08. Daryl remembered it being a beautiful spring day in Montana, the mountains as a backdrop had nothing on the breathtaking beauty of his bride. Daryl stood near the preacher with Ty as his best man, shifting nervously from side to side. Merle had no idea Daryl was in Montana, much less getting married. He wasn't even invited to the wedding. Daryl wanted to forget his past in Georgia, start a new life with the woman he loved.
Fate brought them together at that Civil War dig site in Georgia, where Lakhota was doing a yearlong western exchange student graduate study program for her major. She was studying to be a museum curator, and the University of Georgia seemed like an exciting change of pace from the University of Wyoming. Daryl had tracked a deer right into the middle of the dig site. The deer had dropped into where Lakhota was working, taking its last steps in life. Daryl had apologized as he hauled the deer out in front of Lakhota's entire class. Some of the girls turned their heads, shifting to a pale shade of green. Lakhota stared at Daryl, the look on her face a cross of being pissed off and amazed. Fifteen minutes later Daryl had her name, an hour later her phone number, and by the end of the night a date was set up for the weekend. That same fate would tear them apart when Daryl traveled back to Georgia to bring Merle to Montana.
Upon arriving in Atlanta, Daryl had pulled off his wedding ring; stringing it onto his necklace. Lakhota's parents had bought him the necklace as a gift after he had begun attending church with them fairly regularly. Daryl grew to love Montana, and his semblance of a perfectly normal life compared to his past. Daryl's attitude completely changed as he walked through the airport in Atlanta; just being back in the state made his blood boil.
Daryl picked up the Jeep Lakhota had rented for him, driving the ninety minutes out to Greensboro, GA. Daryl knocked on the front door of the trailer, even though Merle's motorcycle was gone. He really didn't expect an answer, as he walked over to the Jeep, dropping the tailgate to wait. Daryl had just hit send on a text message to his wife when he heard Merle's motorcycle off in the distance. Daryl clipped the phone back onto his belt, standing up to stretch his lanky frame.
Merle pulled up, cutting the bike off near the Jeep. Daryl didn't make a move, watching Merle under the bill of his ball cap; predator stalking prey.
"Well lookey here, baby brother all gussied up found his way back home to ol' Merle. Wonder what you want now huh? She cleaned the shit offa you, cleaned you up all nice and purty now didn't she? Yes sir, uh huh." Merle sneered as he circled Daryl, taking in every inch of his long gone baby brother. Daryl took offense to Merle still referring to him like nothing had changed. Daryl led a good, respectable family life in Montana, running a ranch with his wife and her family.
Daryl quickly reverted back to his Georgia accent, "Ain't nothin' I didn't want to do. It'd do ya good to leave this shit hole behind and come home with me. Clean ya ass up. I came here to bring ya home with me. Even got ya a plane ticket too." Daryl turned as Merle paced, keeping his eyes locked with his older brother's.
"Nothin' you didn't want to do huh? That girly has you wrapped by what's between her legs that's for sure. Must be damn good to keep you gone for almost five years now. Or is it all her richie rich ass money you're dipping your fingers into hmm? Come on baby brother, tell ol' Merle the truth, ain't like you did it for love!" Merle stopped pacing, meeting Daryl face to face.
Merle searched Daryl's eyes, the same fire was still there, but something more had crept into his baby brother. He couldn't put a finger on it; this new Daryl standing in front of him nearly scared him. Merle caught a glimmer of silver around Daryl's neck, his hand striking out to grasp it as Daryl instinctually flinched.
"Woah! Woah! Woah! You're fucking married to her?! And since when did you start going to church? Where the fuck you been all these years baby brother?" Merle choked when the cross and ring fell onto Daryl's chest.
Daryl tucked the cross and ring back into his shirt, the metal cool against his chest as he breathed out on a whisper; "Yeah I married her five years ago. She went back to college out west and I went with her. I started going to church with her and her folks shortly after we got back to Montana after she graduated college in Wyoming. I been in Montana helping her daddy run his ranch while she teaches at the local school. I wanted to marry her, wanted to leave this shit hole behind, 'cause I do love her. She turned my life around. And I want to give you that same chance, take you back with me and start a new life." Daryl felt some of the tension leave him as he spoke the truth he harbored within himself. He knew that if he didn't come down here and at least try to bring Merle back with him that it would always be a loose end for him. Daryl wouldn't make that flight back to Montana a week later with Merle in tow. The world went to shit, Daryl and Merle went into survival mode.
The week Daryl promised his wife had now turned into a year and a half. He had no way of knowing if his wife was still alive, much less communicating with her. Daryl sent a prayer up to whoever was listening that Lakhota was still alive, and praying for his return.
