Kenny and Clementine sat down together alone in what looked like a common room at the front of the lodge. The fire in the fireplace crackled cheerfully, warmly illuminating the burgundy furniture before it. They settled on the couch, Clementine still basking in their surreal surroundings. They smiled for a long moment before Kenny spoke.
"You sure grew up into a pretty little thing, Clementine," he chuckled. "You know, I half expected to see Lee walk up next to you. You guys were like two peas in a pod." He smiled to himself warmly, but stopped abruptly when he saw Clementine's face fall. He got a pained look. "Oh, shit, I didn't mean to…" he stammered. "It's just hard not to think about it, you know?"
Clementine swallowed the familiar lump in her throat. "He's not here anymore," she said softly.
Kenny nodded, understanding. "Hell… Lee and I had our differences, that's for sure. But… when my son…" He closed his eyes for a moment. "Well, he was there for me." Clementine looked at the fire, trying not to cry.
Kenny waited a moment before continuing. "So, where'd you end up?"
"I found Christa and Omid outside Savannah," she answered, her voice still shaky. "But we lost Omid. So it was just me and Christa for a while, but bandits caught us and now she's gone, too."
Kenny watched her sympathetically. "Sounds like it ain't been easy for you. I'm sorry, darlin'."
"Where were you?" Clementine asked. "Christa told me you were dead."
"Aw hell, all over after Savannah," he smiled sadly. He shook his head. "Things got real hairy back there. I almost thought it was all over. But long story short, I got lucky. Real lucky. Spent a long time alone after that. It, uh…" He stopped for a long moment, his eyes closed. "And then I met Sarita, thank God." He breathed out, relief on his face. "Gosh, it's great to have you back."
Sarita walked up behind Kenny, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You two catching up?" she asked, smiling at Kenny.
Kenny smiled back. "Clem, this is my girl, Sarita. Ain't she beautiful?"
Sarita rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Nice to meet you, Clementine."
"Hey Walt, where's Matthew?" Kenny called over his shoulder. "He still out rootin' around?"
"Of course he is," Walter called back from the kitchen.
The group began to trickle downstairs again from their rooms. Sarita walked toward Sarah and Carlos.
"Carlos, right?" she asked. "Mind if I steal your daughter for a secret mission?" Her eyes twinkled.
Sarah gave her dad a pleading look. Carlos gave a curt nod. "Stay in sight, sweetie."
Luke and Nick walked up behind them. "Can we do anything to help?" Luke asked.
Kenny stood from the couch. "Could use a hand outside. We got a lotta supplies to bring in before that storm hits." He turned to Clementine. "Clem, why don't you help Walt with dinner?"
Clementine nodded and watched Nick and Luke follow Kenny outside. She made her way to the spacious kitchen, where Walter was stirring a large pot of… something. He gave her a welcoming smile when he saw her.
"Hey, Clementine. Settling in well enough?" He was portly, but not quite jolly. He had a comfortable, knowledgeable air.
"Yeah, thanks," Clementine answered.
"Excellent," Walter smiled. "Wanna help me prepare a little dinner?" He motioned to a barstool behind the counter. It seemed to Clementine that there wasn't much to do but stir, but she obliged anyway, figuring he probably only wanted to glean information about her group. She frowned, determined not to give him more information than necessary.
"So how do you know Kenny?" he asked nonchalantly. "He and Sarita have been a huge help. Matthew and I barely knew what to do around here the first week."
"We're… old friends," Clementine said. "I met him after it happened."
Matthew stopped stirring, looking concerned. "When he was with Lee? Yeah, he only told us a little." He resumed stirring, looking contemplative. "Connecting with people is so important. I don't know what I'd do without Matthew." He sprinkled a little salt into the pot.
"What did you do before?" Clementine asked, curious.
"What was my job, you mean?" Walter asked quizzically. "I was a teacher. Taught social studies to middle schoolers. I do miss my students, sometimes." He looked at the food wistfully. Grabbing a spoon, his face brightened again as he gave it a taste. "Hmm. Almost done. Would you do me the honor of tasting the first course, madam?" His eyes twinkled at Clementine.
She peered into the pot skeptically. Some kind of... brown mush? It bubbled thickly over the heat. "What is it?" she asked, as politely as she could.
"Le Walter Surprise," he answered in a grandiose voice. "An autumnal legume salad with a peach roux." Clementine raised an eyebrow. "It's peaches and beans. It's all we got." Peaches? "Anyway, I'll take it from here," Walter said, picking up the pot and walking off deeper into the kitchen.