I apologize for the lack of writing! Life has been very crazy for me as I have started college. I promise to be more regular now! Enjoy this next chapter!
I woke up that next morning refusing to believe what happened the day before. I could not believe I was engaged to the woman of my dreams and that I was getting to play the role I had always wanted to, a father. It all became more real when I flipped over to that beautiful gray haired, blue eyed woman I fell in love with the day I met her at the campground in Atlanta.
"Good morning handsome."
"Good morning my beautiful fiancé. I still can't believe that I get to call you that."
She snuggled up real tight to me, but before she could answer the door swung wide open. Before I could think I felt someone jump on me. I looked up to see my beautiful daughter with the biggest grin across her face. I pulled her and Carol in close. I had to take advantage of every chance I could with my two beautiful girls. I was the luckiest man alive.
"I am headed to the gate for my shift, but I wanted to tell you guys good morning and that I love you both" Kinsley said.
As she left the room, I just sat and thought. I never ever thought that I would hear those three words from MY daughter.
Carol and I got up and went down for breakfast with the rest of the family. Rick would not stop winking at me as we came down the stairs. This was all so weird to me, but it was a good weird. As soon as Carol got the first pancake in her mouth, Maggie and Michonne rushed in and grabbed her arms, pulling her out the door. Lord knows what those women are up to, I can never keep up with them. It was good to see those smiles on all of their faces though. It had been a while since I had seen them this happy.
"Carol close your eyes!" Maggie said.
"What in the world are you guys up to? Where are we?"
Carol heard a door swing open as the girls pulled her into this mysterious room. Michonne removed her hands from Carol's eyes and what Carol saw caused her heart to drop and fall in love all at once.
"Oh my gosh! Guys where did you find this?" Carol said.
Maggie replied, "We found it in the warehouse last night after you agreed to marry Daryl."
Carol had no words as she looked at the long, beautiful, white wedding dress hung up in front of her. It was everything she dreamed of in a wedding dress, even more beautiful than the one she walked down the aisle in to marry Ed. It was a v-neck, but not low enough to show too much, enough to show just enough. It was silk and long, flaring out at the bottom into a beautiful train. The dress had a beautiful veil as well. Carol could not believe something this beautiful survived the apocalypse.
"Would you wear it to your wedding?" Michonne asked.
"Of course! It is absolutely beautiful, but I don't even know when the wedding will be, so I don't want to get too excited over it."
"Well, Rick is going to talk to Daryl and try to convince him to tie the knot this weekend. He wants to take Daryl to the warehouse to look for a suit and a wedding band today. It is totally up to you, but what is the point in waiting in this world. You never know if you will get tomorrow" Maggie said.
"I may sound crazy for saying this, but okay! I've never been so sure about being with someone and his little girl has already stolen my heart."
Rick had convinced me to marry Carol this weekend and they had set the date for Saturday at 2. We just needed to tell Kinsley now.
Kinsley walked in from her shift, looking tired as ever. She looked confused when she saw Carol and I both sitting down at the table waiting on her to eat dinner.
"You guys didn't have to wait up for me!"
"No, of course we did, we're family now. How was your day?" I said.
"It was okay. I took down around five walkers, but nothing too exciting."
"Well at least it wasn't stressful. Kinsley, we need to run something by you. In this world we live in now, we do not know what tomorrow brings or even if there will be a tomorrow. Rick, Maggie and Michonne convinced us to get married this weekend and we wanted to make sure that would be okay with you. If it isn't, we totally under-" I said.
Kinsley interrupted him, "Dad, I would love for you to marry her. I have already witnessed the love you guys have for each other and I've never seen anything like it before, not even with my mom and step-father. It's just going to be nice to have my father and a motherly figure back in my life again. It gets kind of lonely by myself. Okay, I am going to take a shower and hit the bed, but know that I totally support this decision. Love you both!"
I knew from the look in Carol's eyes that something was not right.
"Carol, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm fine."
"Carol, you don't have to do that with me. You know that."
"I'm sorry its just hearing someone refer to me as a mother kind of brought back bad memories. I just feel that I have bad luck with children Daryl. I mean, I wasn't watching Sophia well enough and you saw what happened to her. And then later on I lost Lizzie and Mika. Daryl, I just don't want anything to happen to your girl. I love her so much too, but I don't think I could bear to lose her and I know you couldn't either."
Gosh the name Sophia. To hear her say that name again broke my heart.
"Carol, Sophia's death was not your fault. You did all you could to protect that little girl. You were an amazing mother and no one can take that away from you. Lizzie was sick and there was nothing you could've done about that either. Carol, you are a natural with children, you are a mother, that is who you are. You do not have bad luck with children, you did everything you could to protect them and teach them how to survive in this world."
"Daryl, I love you more than anything and I think that I will learn to love that little girl too, but I cannot bear to lose her, not another child."
"Carol, I promise that will never happen. I will protect you and Kinsley until I die and I would give my life to protect you two. Plus, we are in a much safer place now."
Tears began to steam down her face and I wiped them away one at a time.
"Carol, I love you. That is one thing I am sure of and I know for sure I want to marry you this weekend. You are the only one for me, you are what this family needs. I cannot do this on my own."
"Okay."
Those were the only words I needed to hear. I pulled her in for a hug and carried her up to the bed.
