"I didn't fall in love with you...I flew."
― Colleen Hoover, Ugly Love
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"What are you doing?"
Rick was looking up at the ceiling, "Thinking about you."
"What about me?" Michonne giggled into the phone.
"I was imagining what you were doing before you called me."
"What were you imagining over there, Deputy?"
"Just trying to imagine your evening routine is all."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Well my evening routine is different than when I was in my own home."
"How is that?"
"Well, in my own home my evening routine would be as follows, shower if it is a work week. Long bath if it is the weekend. When I say a long bath I mean a long bubble bath with a glass of wine and a good book. I have a nightly ritual regardless which consist of skin care and oral hygiene. I have ocd qualities that I am trying to tamper down a bit and living with my Granny helps."
"How is that?"
"I am in her home. She would chop my fingers off if I tried to organize her home the way I would mine. I have to close my eyes and walk away from cups that aren't in the order of height."
"Really?"
"Really. Scared yet?" Michonne laughed softly into the phone.
"No. Should I be?"
"What else were you thinking?" Michonne snuggled into her bed.
"I was thinking about what would be sexier on you my t-shirt or pajama top."
"What does your imagination tell you?"
"Pajama top."
"And you wearing the bottoms?"
Rick was lost in his imagination. Imagining Michonne climbing into bed with him. Imagining her lying next to him.
"Yeah. Not sure how long I would have the bottoms on if you were here right now or if I was there."
"Aren't we being frisky on the phone. Too bad you will never ever know huh?"
"I will know. Not soon enough. But I will." Rick replied confidently.
"You are waking up my lady parts."
"Am I now?" Rick chuckled
"Yes." Michonne responded all breathy.
"Which part. You have breast."
"Right now they are sensitive."
"Am I going further downstairs?"
"I say you are."
"I bet it taste good."
"Smell good too." Michonne felt herself getting wet just thinking about Rick in that way.
"I would love to taste you."
"You would enjoy it."
"Would I now?"
"Yes. I wouldn't stop you either."
"I don't think I could be stopped."
"Have I awaken your manly part?"
"It was awaken before you called my phone."
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"If I was a religious person I would say thank you Jesus. Amen. Hallelujah!" Ms. Mabel was rejoicing around the kitchen table. "The divorce is final!"
Michonne began to sniffle as she put the document back into the envelope. She wiped at her eye.
"What you crying for now...please don't snatch my joy and say the no count?"
Michonne could only nod her head, "I loved him Granny. Nothing can change that."
"Well I am glad he signed the papers and set you free. I am glad he did that for you."
"I think you going over to his family house where he was- helped with that, Granny."
"One thing I can't stand is Pro Crastin Ation. Can't stand it. What the hell he waiting on signing it for? You don't want him no more. Shit. Cut ties while you can."
"How do you know none of them will call the law on you Granny? You crossed county lines with a sawed off shot gun."
"The law lives right here in this house. Let them go and call them. If they know what's good for their asses they will let it rest. All I wanted was his signature and we got it. Shit."
"You know you are still being investigated don't you?"
"Do I look worried?"
"How far is your reach Granny?"
"All the way to the President of the United States let them go to snooping around here if they want."
Michonne shook her head unsure of what was true or just rumors about her Granny Mabel. Even though she has come across some questionable things such as the money in the floor board under her Granny's bed.
"So what is the Deputy doing. When is he getting his divorce?"
"We haven't talked about it?"
"Why not?"
"We talk about other things. If he wants to tell me it will be because he wants me to know not because I asked."
"Herschel says he told him that he was going to ask his wife for the divorce once the accounts says closed. I guestimate that should have happened over a month ago. You need to ask him what are his plans."
"Granny, I am in no rush to know his plans. I am ok with the way things are. We are just..."
"You are worth more than just...whatever the hell that means. I know that times have changed but just is not what you should be aiming for I am quite sure of that."
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"Lori..." Rick was surprised as he opened his bedroom door.
"Hi. I didn't want to wait until tomorrow. Now is a good time as any."
"Come on in." Rick grabbed his semen soiled underwear that was on the bed and put it in his hamper inside the closet.
Lori sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Rick to get off the phone.
"Ummm...Let me call you back. Yeah...something I have to handle right now. Give me about an hour or so. I will call you back. I promise...I know I don't have to but I want to. Okay?...okay." Rick places his phone down on the dresser and faces his wife.
"Who were you talking to?"
"That is not the reason you are here. Not the reason I wanted to talk to you. For us to discuss what needs to be discussed."
"Rick. I want to work on us but I feel like I really messed up with you."
"You have."
"I will have a baby if that will make things right."
"It won't."
"Why are you being so short with me?"
"Because I am done. Done with the us. Done with the we. Done with you. Never thought I would see this day. Never thought it would happen to us. Never envisioned a life with out you. Rather had died at one point then to be with out you Lori. I loved you from the beginning."
"Do you want to get a divorce?" Lori braced herself for Rick's response.
"I do."
"What about the house?"
"You can stay until it is sold."
"Are you seeing someone else? I asked Shane he wouldn't tell me. Is there someone else?"
"What does it matter?"
"I was wondering if that is what makes it so easy for you to walk away from me? I believe there must be someone else. I know you. I know you better than anyone. Must be someone."
"Trust me when I tell you, it was you that destroyed us. The truth. Long before an anyone else."
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"Who is she, Shane? Who is it that Rick is cheating on me with?"
"He is not cheating on you Lori."
"The devil is a liar!"
"Why do I have to be a liar?"
"I know you are more friends with Rick than I but I know when you are lying. Your lying. Who is she?" Lori was whipping herself into a rage.
"Now, Rick's friendship outweighing yours is very true. Trust me when I tell you, you would really need to have fucked up for Rick to look at another woman. Trust me when I tell you. Do you really think you fucked up this time?"
"Fuck you Shane."
"No sir. I like my friendship with him and your high maintenance pussy will not destroy my friendship with Rick. I like low maintenance pussy...like Carol for example."
"I hate you sometime Shane."
"It's true. Your friend Jessie, low maintenance pussy. Drive through McDonalds and I get laid. You on the other hand...I will pass."
"Your an asshole. I know you know who it is."
"Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you Lori."
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"This place has potential." Andrea walked from room to room. "Knock this wall out and this wall...Yes. This house has great bones."
"You really think?"
"Yes. Yes I do. Great job babe."
"I go to closing next week."
"Sweet."
"I think I am falling for him. Falling hard."
"You haven't slept with him have you?"
"No. Of course not. What do you take me for?"
"For you to so be emotionally tangled I don't know what to think any more about you babe. Honestly. You get out of one relationship and it seems you are instantly ready for the next."
"This is different."
"How so? He's still married. I say you are nothing but a distraction a side piece."
"I am not."
"How is it any different? You aren't asking the important questions. You aren't trying to define it."
Michonne had no words.
"I love you Michonne. I love you like a sister. If you going to get a hard pill to swallow you know it will be from me."
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"I am officially divorced." Michonne started the conversation as she felt him come up beside her.
"Since when?" Rick was surprised.
"Since yesterday. The day we..." Michonne eyed him trying to keep up with her.
"Last night...about that I am sorry I didn't call you back. I was..."
"No need to explain."
"I want to explain."
"Go ahead then."
"Lori and I discussed divorcing last night. I told her I was done. Officially done."
"It only became official last night?" Michonne felt herself becoming pissed. Unreasonable as it may be but pissed none the less.
"Well yeah." Rick responded.
"So when we kissed it wasn't official? So when we did what we did over the phone it wasn't official?" Michonne stopped jogging abruptly.
"Wait what?" Rick stopped jogging because Michonne had stopped.
"This is exactly the reason why I told my Granny and my friend Andrea why I didn't ask questions. Because the answers are never just right. It is never what is imagined. It is never romantic. It is always a stark contrast to what I put together in my mind. The reality is never kind."
"What are you talking about? I'm lost."
"Convenient!" Michonne began walking in the opposite direction. Her jog was going to go uncompleted for the day. She began a brisk walk back to the parking lot that was less than a mile away.
"Let me tell you a little bit about me." Rick grabbed Michonnes' arm and swung her around to face him, "When I say I love someone I mean it. I don't play with that word just as when I don't love any more...I don't. I mean what I say. No take backs. I love you. I been in love with you from the moment I pulled you over in that car of yours. The moment I laid eyes on you I knew. I engaged you in conversation at Walmart because I wanted it to happen. I fell in love with you Michonne. I don't know how or why but with you I feel complete. Everything fits perfectly with us. I like that feeling. I feel like I found my better half in you."
"People thinking that I am a side chick."
"What the hell is that? Side chick? Where is this coming from?" Rick was confused.
"I am not a side piece." Michonne stated emphatically.
"You want to be front and center? You ready for that? Am I understanding you correctly? You and I are going to go public right now?"
"I want to be with you Rick in everyway possible."
"I want that. Are you sure you ready for that?"
"I am."
"Then stop fucking around with Morgan."
"What?"
"I know you have been going out with him. That is all he talks about when we are at work. All he talks about and it pisses me off. You tell him or I will tell him."