Daryl glanced around his two bedroom wood cabin house. By god it was clean. Carol had not only settled her things into the spare bedroom, but she had also did the dishes, swept, mopped the kitchen floor, vacuumed the living room carpet, and from the looks of it she had even dusted the living room furniture. However, the crème de la crème was that she had cooked something the smelled heavenly.
"You didn't have to do all this" Daryl said amazed.
"I know, but I wanted to. I couldn't bare the thought of sitting around doing nothing, but I hope that you don't mind, or that I didn't move something in the wrong place, I can move everything back. Or I" Carol started getting instantly nervous.
"Nah, it's good like this." Daryl quickly put out any worry she might have had.
"Well, than Mr. Dixon, I hope you're hungry, I made lasagna" Carol smiled.
"Can you set the table?" Carol asked as she retreated back into the small kitchen.
Daryl grabbed a couple of plates from the top cupboard and set them in the little rinky dink table. He then pulled out a fork and knife from the drawer and set them on the side of each plate. He then went to the fridge and pulled out some beer. After that he sat at the table not sure of what else Carol might want him to do.
"Here it is" Carol beamed happily. She set the pot containing the lasagna in the center of the table. She then proceed to cut the lasagna and place a slice on each plate.
They sat in silence for the first 10 minutes as they eat. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence by any means, it was warm and home like. Daryl was amazed by how quickly he had warmed up to the idea of Carol living here, cooking and cleaning. It wasn't until Carol spoke that he was yanked out of his own head.
"So, how was work? Did you have a lot of jobs today?" Carol smiled trying to make polite conversation.
"It's okay. I worked on maybe 5 cars" Daryl said.
"Well that's good, from the sounds of it, you had quite a day, rescuing an old house wife, and still finding the time to help five others, your quite a knight I shining armor" Carol teased.
"Psshh…" Daryl snorted and smirked, but then his smirk faded as he looked at Carol's suddenly serious face.
"Daryl, I appreciate what you did today, and yesterday, and well, every day since the first day I met you actually. You have been nothing but kind to me, and I've been such a burden. I don't want to intrude into your life, and in your space. I will find a job as soon as I can, and I promise to be out of your hair." Carol said as she looked into her lasagna dish, suddenly afraid to look him in the eye.
"You, ain't a burden woman, I already told you that, and hell if you keep the place this nice and clean, I'll gladly let you stay." He said before suddenly looking up from his dish and directly at her. "but in all seriousness, take as long as you need to get back on your feet. I ain't rushing you out the door." He said.
Having heard what he said, Carol smiled as she looked and into his eyes. "Daryl Dixon, you're my hero" she said blushing a little.
"Shut up" he responded hiding the blush forming on his own face. With that he got up and started walking his plate to the sink. Before returning and taking her now empty plate with him. He then took what was left of the lasagna and wrapped it before putting it into the refrigerator. After that they said their goodnights and departed to their separate bedrooms.
Carol laid awake staring at the ceiling. She couldn't believe what had happened in the last 48 hours. She had moved out of her home, and she had moved in with a man she barely knew! She had finally gathered the courage to change her horrible life. She couldn't help wondering if Sophia was watching the events that had played out, from heaven and if she would have approved.
"Sophia" Carol said barely above a whisper.
"I love you, and I promise, I'm going to have the life we always wanted together. Full of laughter, love and most importantly freedom, watch over me from above, my beautiful angel." Carol said wiping a single tear from her eyes as she slowly began to close her eyes, letting sleep finally overcome her.