Chapter 12

As they drove down that old highway, Carol couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this good. Daryl had one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on her thigh. She'd curled her fingers around his an hour ago, and they hadn't moved. Neither of them had spoken since getting in the truck and pulling out from the hotel. They were just there. Together. Comfortable.

Daryl had just turned off on an exit that promised a beach when Carol's cell phone rang. She jumped slightly and fished inside of her pocket for her cell. She gave Daryl's fingers a little squeeze, and he squeezed hers back.

"Sophia?"

"Hi, Mama. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm…I'm good," Carol said slowly. "You doing ok?"

"We're great. Um, we're just going to lunch. So?"

"So, what?"

"Where are you?"

"What makes you think I'm somewhere?" Silence. "Oh, fine. I'm in Florida. Somewhere."

"Somewhere? You don't know where you're at?" Carol chuckled and glanced at Daryl.

"Um, we're heading to the ocean."

"Mama, you don't even know where you are? Wait. You said 'we?' Did you ask him? He's with you?!" Sophia sounded like an excited child in that moment, and Carol bit her lip, unable to hide her smile.

"Yeah," Carol said, cheeks flushing. "I think we're close to Tampa, but we're taking the back roads. Less traffic."

"Are you having fun?"

"Are you having fun?" Carol asked, laughing softly, avoiding her daughter's question. "How's Carl?"

"He's good. We're thinking about coming back earlier, but we haven't decided yet."

"Why? It's your honeymoon! Don't rush back. I miss you like crazy, but I know you're having the time of your life." She placed her hand over her heart. She felt a little guilty in that moment. Yes, she missed Sophia, but the past couple of days had had her mind on other things and certainly not on the fact that her daughter was starting a new chapter in her life with her husband. She hadn't been focused on how her life was going to change, how she was going to have so much time on her hands. All she'd been focused on was how good it felt to have someone like Daryl to talk to; how good it felt to be with him.

"Mom?" Sophia asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever…after you married Ed, I mean, before things went bad…?"

"Sophia?"

"Did you ever think that maybe you made a mistake? That maybe you shouldn't have…"

"Sophia, are you having second thoughts?"

"No," she said softly. "Mom, I love Carl, but I just can't help but think…we're so young, and…"

"Sophia," Carol said softly, "you love him. And he loves you."

"I know."

"And you're young, yes. And twenty years from now, you may still together, you may not be, but honey, you can't know that yet. If everybody could look into the future and see how their lives were going to turn out, it would take all of the excitement out of life."

"You're right," Sophia said gently. "I'm just…I was just thinking about you and Ed, and…"

"Honey, let me stop you right there. There's no way your marriage to Carl could ever compare to my marriage to Ed. I didn't know him like you know Carl. I thought I loved him, and I thought I knew him, and clearly I didn't. Carl's a good guy, sweetie. He won't hurt you, because he knows that if he does, he'll have me, Rick and Michonne to answer to, because we all love you so much." She peeked over at Daryl briefly, who had his eyes on the road. She gave his hand a little squeeze. "Sophia, whatever happens, I will always be there to support you. You know that, right?"

"I know, Mama," Sophia murmured. Carol could hear the hesitation in the girl's voice.

"Sweetheart, was there something else you wanted to tell me?"

"I…no. No, I'm just over-thinking things. I'm happy. I am. I just have a lot on my mind."

"You come by it honestly," Carol chuckled. "I can't remember the last time I didn't over-think things." Until recently. "I'll call you in a few days, ok?"

"Ok. Love you."

"I love you, too." Carol frowned, hanging up the phone. She sighed softly, and Daryl glanced her way.

"Everything alright?"

"I'm worried about Sophia," she said quietly. "She's…well, I think she's just worried about what happens next. After the honeymoon, they come back to reality and have to start their lives together. I think it's suddenly setting in that she's actually married." She smiled sadly.

"After the honeymoon," Daryl said quietly, "they come back, and they're married, and they start workin' on buildin' a life together." Carol glanced at him wistfully for a moment.

"Or they come home and realize the honeymoon really is over, and things just…things aren't the same."

"Don't think like that," Daryl murmured quietly. "Your girl and her husband, they were good friends before?"

"Yes. The best of friends."

"Then they didn't go into this without thinkin' about it. They love each other."

"Very much," Carol agreed with a nod. "And he's good to her, and when they came to me and told me they wanted to get married, I was a little worried. But she's happy, and he makes her happy, and they are both working and able to support a marriage. I'm just…I still look at her sometimes and see my little baby girl. It's hard." She smiled sadly at him, and he reached over, giving her knee a squeeze. She smiled then, placing her hand over his. "How do you do it?"

"What?"

"You make me feel better. You just…you know what to say or what to do, and you barely even know me."

"Know you better today than I did yesterday," he pointed out. Carol blushed as a grin spread over her face. If she was being honest with herself, Daryl already knew her better than most anyone else in her life, and that was definitely saying something.

"That's true," she said with a little smile. She focused her attention back on the road, and she closed her eyes, relishing in the feel of the sunshine on her face and Daryl's fingers entwined with hers.

"I got a confession," Daryl murmured several minutes later, breaking the comfortable silence.

"What's that?" she asked with a yawn, leaning her head back against the headrest of the bench seat.

"When you were takin' the keys to the desk this mornin', I called and made reservations." Carol quirked an eyebrow up. "I know, we're s'posed to be drivin' to see where we end up, but a couple more miles, and you'll see why I called ahead." Carol smiled a little.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"You'll see. And you're gonna love it."

"Tell me you aren't spending a bunch of money, because, Daryl, all I really care about is being here with you, and…"

"Would you hush?" he asked, giving her hand a squeeze. "We'll be there soon." He brought her hand to his lips and gave her knuckles a kiss. "You trust me?" She nodded. She did trust him. She'd never trusted somebody so much in her entire life, and it was a little scary, but at the same time, she was happier than she ever thought possible.

"I trust you," she murmured.

"Good." He gave her hand a squeeze again and turned his attention back on the road, seeking out their destination.