People started gathering in Joyce's backyard around 5pm. The sun was just beginning to set and the fading light cast a sepia tone over the evening. Picnic tables had been pushed together to create a large banquet table filled with food and drink. A makeshift stage had been assembled out of old wooden pallets. A battery operated keyboard was manned by Joyce who was joined by another man and woman with guitars strapped across their shoulders.
Guests arrived in various states of dress. The children came in whatever they had been wearing that day. The teenagers and younger adults preferring to dress up a little - to show off their personal styles, a thing that wasn't allowed much anymore, but the desire clearly still existed. The older among them just came in comfortable, clean attire ready to watch the young folk dance and laugh and play. For a while, the walkers didn't exist and all that mattered was this moment here and now.
Beth entered the yard with Maggie at her side. A quick survey around showed the rest of her family had already arrived - sans Daryl. Because of course he wasn't there. It was hardly surprising. Her gut twisted in realization that she'd definitely overstepped some imaginary line of acceptable behavior back on that porch. She'd been too forceful, too upfront and now she'd pushed him away.
"What's wrong?" Maggie squeezed her hand and gave her an inquisitive little smile.
"Nothing." Beth tried smiling back but knew Maggie wasn't going to buy it.
"He'll be here, Beth. He will." Beth hoped she was right, but wouldn't spend too much effort getting her hopes up. Instead, she intended to have a good time. Daryl or no Daryl. "Come on, let's go find everybody else." Maggie pulled her sister in the direction of Glenn and Tara as the band started playing.
Rick found Daryl aimlessly walking the streets of their small community. Lost in thought and chewing on his nails like it was his job. He wasn't surprised to see his friend anywhere other than the gathering. But he deserved to be there whether he knew it or not.
"Going to head over to Joyce's house anytime soon?" Rick ambled up beside him and fell in step.
"And do what exactly?" He continued biting his cuticles.
"I don't know. Relax. Take a break. Smile at a pretty girl. We get to do that now." Rick's hand went to rest on his holster out of habit, but found nothing but empty air. It would be a while before that absence felt natural.
"Don't really know how to do any of those things. Just don't feel right. And…," he swallowed whatever he'd intended to say next.
"Say what needs saying." Rick waited.
"Ain't nothing to say really. Just...I don't know what to do about Beth. I think it's best if I just put some distance between us. Not that I think there's an us or anything." The words were spilling out of his mouth quicker than he'd imagined possible. "There ain't, Rick. There can't be, but she said things earlier that can't be unsaid. And it's my fault, but I don't know how to handle it. Jesus Christ, Rick, I'm lost." He drew in a shaky breath and stopped walking, just staring down at his feet.
"And why exactly can't there be anything between you two? I've seen the way y'all are together. At first, I just thought it was because of the things y'all went through after the prison. But clearly she means something to you and you mean something to her. We don't find that everyday now. Some people never will. So, the way I see things, what you've found is a blessing. Something to be thankful for. Something to hold on to." Rick waited for Daryl to look at him before continuing. "Truth is, I'm not exactly one to be handing out romantic advice. Love in this world is a whole other thing than it ever was before. But it's a thing we've got to hold on to if we ever want to get back to living a life rather than just surviving."
"So, what? I just ask her to go steady and that's that? Shit, Rick, she's half my age. And way out of my league. She deserves a whole hell of a lot more than I can offer." Daryl started pacing the pavement again. Agitation settling into his shoulders.
"She's not a little girl. Not by a long shot and is fully capable of deciding who she cares about. Age is a non-issue. We don't have the luxury. All we're left with now is the truth. So if the truth is you want to be with her, then go be with her. She couldn't ask for a better man. And I couldn't ask for a better brother. Just follow her lead." Rick squeezed his shoulder and nodded his head in the direction of Joyce's house. Reluctantly, Daryl followed.
The party was in full swing by the time the two men entered the yard. The band was playing a rousing cover of an old country song while people of all ages line danced up and down, back and forth through the winter-browned lawn. Lanterns cast the sweetest glow across the moving, laughing, happy bodies. Rick smiled seeing Carl and Michonne in the middle of the dancing, tripping over their own feet. Daryl nervously glanced around looking for the only reason he had come. He found her quickly, up front, leading the charge, dancing circles around almost everyone. And then he saw her hand, firmly clasped in the hand of some boy. She smiled at this stranger and Daryl's gut ached in a way he'd always hoped to avoid. He knew now the magnitude of his mistake. Immediately, he about faced, ready to bolt through the nearest exit.
Maggie blocked his way before he'd taken five steps. "Not so fast, Dixon." Her hand found his chest and she stopped him in his tracks. "You're not going anywhere."
He stared at her coldly hoping whatever hurt or emotion burned in his belly wasn't written all over his face. "Got other places to be." He tried pushing past her, but she was having none of it.
"She's been waiting for you on eggshells for over an hour. Eyes darting to that gate every damn time the hinges squeaked. And every time you didn't walk through that fence, her face and her hopes fell a little harder. But Beth is Beth at the end of the day and will find a way to have a good time no matter how bad she's hurting inside. So suck it up, Daryl. You don't like what you see, change it. Stop running." She angrily crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him, daring him to leave.
The two waged war with their eyes for several minutes before Daryl felt a hand on his arm. "You came." He could hear the glee in her voice. "What's the matter, Maggie?" But Maggie just smiled at her, shook her head, and headed off towards Glenn and Abraham. Daryl couldn't help but notice the smug grin that had spread across her face before she left.
"Just came for a few minutes. Gotta get back." Daryl tried escaping again. There were too many people and the loudness of the music was beginning to make him dizzy. Or maybe it was just the words - her words from earlier - echoing around his head that had the world spinning. Whatever the case, he'd never needed to be away from a place more than he needed out right this second.
"No." She grabbed his hand and stood in front of him, blocking his way just the same as her sister. Hershel hadn't raised his girls to be afraid of anything. Her eyes found his and he let himself look back to her. And somewhere in the blue of her eyes the world slowed down, quieted, and he relaxed. "Dance with me." She didn't wait for a response, just led him to the dance floor. Other couples were scattered haphazardly about, swaying in time to whatever love song the band had moved on to.
Beth put her arms around his neck and waited for him to put his around her waist, but he just stood there, frozen. So she took matters into her own hands, grabbed his, and put them on her waist. He complied without a fight, but she could feel the tension radiating from every corner of his body. Her hands snaked their way back around his shoulders and she lightly leaned against his chest. Her head rested where she could feel, could hear his heart beating so rapidly she worried for a second that this wasn't what he wanted. But then his hands put the slightest of pressure on her hips as he pulled her just a little bit closer. Her eyes closed and the two of them stood there, barely moving. Just letting this new closeness, this new sensation wash over them.
Another slow song started as soon as the previous one ended. Beth and Daryl stayed put, but this time Beth brazenly lifted her face to his. She wasn't afraid of him, of them and where the night could go. Sure, she was nervous, but in that good way. The way that makes all the bad things so worthwhile. She smiled at him. "You like my dress?"
He just swallowed and nodded.
"Before this, who was the last girl you danced with?" Beth had wanted to ask questions like this for so long. Wanted to know what kind of girls had come before her. Just a honest curiosity because she couldn't picture them in her mind.
He cleared his throat,"Didn't do much dancing. Weren't that many girls, really. You know." He didn't even know what the hell he was talking about.
"But the ones that there were. What were they like?" She searched his eyes for some sort of reaction, not entirely sure what she was asking or why she wanted to know.
"Just regular girls, I guess. None of them really stuck around long enough to remember much of. Why?" He wasn't sure where this was leading. It wasn't a conversation he'd ever imagined having with her or anyone else, for that matter.
"Were they…do I...I mean, how do I compare? If we'd met before, like in some bar somewhere, would you have noticed me then? Or what if tonight was the first time you'd ever seen me? Would you have looked twice?" The look on her face was so open and earnest. Her hands pushed into his hair, fingering the long, surprisingly soft wisps.
For the first time that night, he smiled back at her. "I think you're just fishing for compliments, Greene. No man in this world wouldn't notice you in that dress and you know it." He suddenly noticed how close her mouth was to his and his nervous returned full force.
"I don't care about other men, Daryl. Take me home now." He searched her eyes for the fear, for the uncertainty, for the sure signs that this was just some brief moment of insanity on her part, but found none. And so for the first time ever, his hand found hers and he led the way.