A/N: I didn't forget this story. It is actually one of my fav's I just get so distracted sometimes. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.
Tara was over her house bright and early that Saturday morning, she had a key to the house so when Carol didn't answer the door she just let herself in. The house was quiet and it seemed that no one was awake yet.
She could hear the clock ticking on the mantle, it was almost spooky.
Beth was asleep on the couch under a blanket, so she walked past her and down the hall to Carol's room. Sophia was in bed with Carol and they looked adorable, Tara took a quick picture on her cellphone and texted it to Carol's phone. She laughed to herself and then knocked on the door jamb lightly.
Carol sat up with a start but she wasn't scared to see Tara in her room. Just a little surprised, things were slowly coming back to her now.
Daryl, the quarry, the car. Her car which was parked in her driveway right now. She had screwed him on top of the car like a high school kid, and she couldn't bring herself to regret it.
No one knew, but she had a feeling she'd be telling Tara before this morning was over.
Tara was looking at her trying to decide if she was going to tease her or play the worried friend. They had a standing breakfast date every Saturday morning for the last two years when they were off. They never missed. Tara was quite sure she was out late with a certain man with a motorcycle.
Tease it was, she grinned to herself, because it was going to be fun.
"Hey, what's up?" Carol whispered crawling out of bed as not to wake Sophia that would not be good for anyone. She and Tara walked out of the room and down the hall.
"Late night yo?" Tara said pointing to the clock, it was eleven am. Carol was supposed to meet her for breakfast at ten.
"Oh crap, I'm sorry." Carol said. "I didn't forget you, I swear."
Tara crossed her arms and grinned at her, she had been half thinking she would see Daryl around here somewhere but apparently he wasn't here.
Still, there had to be a hell of a good reason for her to miss Dale's pancakes, some weeks that was the only good thing they had.
"Is ok, late night." Tara said.
She asked as Carol made them two cups of coffee.
"Yeah kind of." Carol replied, trying to keep her secret close to her vest, but Tara wasn't having it. They talked quietly so they didn't wake Beth or Sophia.
"Well, he isn't here so, what did you do it in the car?"
Carol didn't answer, in hind sight if that had been the plan all along they could have gone to Daryl's because Merle was at Andrea's last night.
Things with him always, just happened, she never knew what to expect. She had forgotten how thrilling that could be.
It hadn't been planned, it just happened. She had gotten paired up with Daryl after everyone left and it was kind of like it happened on purpose. She handed Tara a cup of coffee and they walked out onto the deck.
He did it on purpose, she was sure of it now.
She would ask him about that later, if he set her up she was going to be pissed.
Tara and Carol sat down at the table and enjoyed the warm sunshine. Tara studied her as they sipped their coffee.
"You did do it in the car!" She said to Carol. "You definitely look like you got laid."
"No, we didn't do it on the car." She realized her mistake as soon as it was out of her mouth. It was like slow motion film. Tara had been sipping her coffee when Carol said that and then she spit it out on the ground.
"On the car, holy shit Carol." She said when she regained her composure. "I guess you aren't mad at him anymore."
Carol sipped her coffee. "Guess not."
/
Daryl drove the road that he remembered from when he lived there before. He didn't come here much before he left but he needed to now. He pulled the bike over and walked down the path to where her grave was.
He carried two bouquets of daisy's one for her and one for the other grave he was going to. He stopped in front of his mother's head stone and laid the flowers on top. He kneeled down in the dirt.
"Sorry Mama that I haven't been around. I'm here to stay now and I'll be here more. I have to tell you about Sophia, your granddaughter. I wish you could be here to know her, but I know you are looking down on us and I hope you can be proud of me now. I'm not gonna fuck this up, I promise you. I'll be a man of honor, like you always wanted."
He laid his hand on the stone and traced his hand on the dates, she had died two months before he and Merle took off on their bike trip. He never mourned her properly, he had learned that in therapy. It was time to put it all into practice now. Progress not perfection he said to himself as he stood up and wiped the dirt off his pants.
"I love you Mama, I'll make you proud. I'll be a better man." He turned to walk away. "I'm gonna go see Miss. Caroline now."
He got back on the bike and drove to the other side of the cemetery to where Carol's mother was buried. She had passed while he was gone and he was pretty sure Carol had told her he was Sophia's father.
Carol and her mother had been close and he had met her a few times. He was sure she was never impressed with him either. Carol's mother was a hard sell, just like her daughter.
He had asked at the church where Caroline's grave was and as he approached he thought about what he wanted to say.
He laid the flowers on top of the head stone just as he did on his mother's.
"Miss Caroline, I know you never thought too much of me. Don't know if it was my last name or the way things were with Carol and me." He swallowed as if the woman was standing before him now, her hands on her hips judging him for whatever transgressions he might have made. "But I love them and I want you to know that I will always put her and Sophia first. They are everything to me."
He looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry it took so long."