Chapter 21:
"Are you going to talk to me now?"
Rick rolled his eyes up to meet Michonnes for a second, then rolled back down as he continued to cut the slice of chocolate cake that he retrieved from his fridge, "I am talking to you. I never stopped."
Michonne peered at him with narrowed eyes from the other side of the counter, "You know what I mean, Rick. And can you stop giving him cake, please? He needs to eat something with a little more substance"
Rick peaked at the toddler waiting beside him. Andre was stood on his toes, waiting eagerly for his second helping. Rick shrugged, "I promised him on the way back here that I'd give him some cake"
"A whole slice?"
"...He's small for his age", Rick insisted while handing Andre a piece he could manage. Andre took it with glee as he sank down to the floor and began chewing away. Rick popped his finger into his mouth to clean off some frosting, "We need to make sure he grows big and strong"
Michonne rolled her eyes at his comment, "...As I was saying… Are you going to start talking to me now?"
"Dad, the shower was being weird", Carl informed as he stepped out of the bathroom with his red and blue bathrobe on.
"Great.", Rick sighed, eyeing his son as he crossed the living area to get to his bedroom, "Did you break it?"
"No, it just kept turning on and off", Carl replied just before he shut the door to his bedroom.
Rick shook his head with despair as he was about to investigate the problem for himself, but he caught Michonne still looking at him so he decided he'd tackle that problem first, "I'm talking to you, Michonne"
"You left here to get Andre in a huff", She quickly countered, "Then came back in a huff and Andre kept trying to look in my mouth because 'dad said you have no teeth'."
Rick had to purse his lips together to stop an amused smile from spreading across his face, "...I may have vented to him a little when we were heading back…"
Michonne gave him a serious look, "Are you mad about my tooth or are you mad about what I saw up there?"
"I'm mad about the fact that you're sneaky and accident-prone", He blurted out dryly, causing her to gasp in shock.
"I am not sneaky!", She hissed, holding a hand against her chest.
"You're also dramatic", He added, unable to hide his amusement any longer, "You could have sucked up all the air in the room with that gasp"
Michonne's lip began to quiver as she bit back a giggle, "I am being serious right now, Rick"
He let out a deep sigh as he placed both hands on the counter and looked her directly in the eye, "There are certain parts of my life that I'd rather you had no business with"
Her head jerked back an inch to show her genuine offense.
"Don't do that, Michonne. I don't mean it like that", He explained, "I mean, there are… people in my family that aren't worth discussing, that I don't want anythan' to do with- that I don't want anywhere near you, Carl or Andre. You're none of their business"
"So we can't even talk about it?", She began to furrow her thin brows at him, "They're not here, Rick"
"I don't even want to talk about them", He shrugged at the suggestion, "You're apart of my now and they aren't. I want to keep it that way."
Her shoulder slumped as she removed her forearms from the counter, "That's not fair, Rick"
He squinted as he repeated her last words, "It's not fair? How?"
"My TV's broken!", Carl yelled from behind his bedroom door.
"Well get dressed without the TV on!", Rick called back, his eyes still on his girlfriend, "Go on? Tell me how it's not fair?"
"Because I need to know everything about you", She stressed while leaning back on the counter, "I don't like the fact that there's this whole portion of your life that I'm clueless about. I've told you everything about me"
"That's a lie", He countered easily, "I'm still in the dark about a couple of thangs."
"Then ask me and I'll tell you!", Her dreads swung from side to side in her high ponytail, "Go on. Ask away."
He stared at her for a second before replying, "Fine. Your dad?"
Her eyes widened by a tiny fraction.
"See? It's not easy is it?", He reasoned, "You don't have to go into it if you're not ready¬"
"No, I can", She insisted, trying to perk up a little, "He had a heart attack. We had… a good relationship. I think about him a lot and it's because of him that I put up with Mike for as long as I did. I thought that a lousy father was better than no father at all."
Rick wasn't expecting to receive such an insightful answer. He felt a little ashamed for asking a loaded question so flippantly, "...I understand."
"See? It wasn't hard", She gave him a little shrug.
He felt inclined to share with her since she'd shared with him, "Look, my family were very involved with politics. All my fathers before me were mayors and it… we hated it. Jeffrey and I hated it. They were great politicians but… lousy parents. Thangs were bad between us but they got worse when Lori got pregnant so we left and I never spoke to them again. That's it."
Her mouth had fallen agape while he spoke, "...So Carl's never¬"
"Nope. Never."
"Has he asked?"
Rick averted his gaze for a moment, "Once or twice. He's not really interested."
Michonne stared at him in silence for a few seconds before she whispered, "So were you rich?"
A dry chuckle escaped his lips, "Comfortable enough, but don't worry, I'm sure that I've been cut out of many wills already"
She pretended to be saddened by that news and Rick involuntarily roared with laughter.
"You thought you'd hit the jackpot, huh?", He teased.
"I already did hit the jackpot with you", She replied sweetly, but added, "It would have been a nice bonus though…"
He scoffed at her, "You're telling me. I could be laying on a beach somewhere right now, sipping on a cold beer while watching you dance around in a bikini and leaving the boys to frolic in the sea"
His girlfriend cackled at his joke, "Why would I be dancing in a bikini on the beach?"
"Because I'll never forget the first time you danced for me, that's why", He grinned as he leaned on the counter to be closer to her, "If you move in here then I'm getting one of those poles in the bedroom"
She sat forward so that their noses were only inches away from each other, "You could put those bills that you hide under the bed to some use"
His grin slipped away, "How'd you know about that?"
Her face fell blank.
"See? You are sneaky, Michonne"
"I was just peaking!", She said in a high pitched tone, "I didn't move anything, I just… took a little peek here and there"
"What were you even looking for?", He hated how he still found her so adorable even when he was annoyed, "You hoping to find somethan'?"
"Yes, actually I was. I wanted to find out more about you and I thought what better way to do that then look around¬"
"Sneak around, you mean", He corrected dryly.
She groaned as she stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm sorry that I want to know everything about my beautiful, mysterious boyfriend¬"
"Cut that out", He sniggered. He allowed her to rub her nose against his.
"Isn't this cute?"
"I can still smell blood on you, Michonne", He gave her an unimpressed look, "Let me see that tooth"
"It's fine, just a little chip¬"
"How'd you even get up there? I don't have a ladder in here", He looked behind her as he tried to work out what she used to see his forbidden images.
She visibly cringed, "I used the stool… and put it on the dresser…"
Rick's eyes widened, "And you fell off of there?"
"Yeah", She wore a guilty expression as she nodded, "I had to tidy up your room when you went to get Andre because I was reaching for everything when I was falling"
Rick began to laugh so hard that he couldn't even look at her, and when he did finally look up again he laughed even more, "I'm sorry, but that's funny Michonne"
"I was hurt, Rick", She shot back in a monotone, making him laugh even more.
"I know, I'm sorry, come're", He urged, closing the space between them to give her a tender little kiss on her luscious and possibly sore lips.
"Wait- where's Andre?", Michonne jerked back and began looking around with alert in her eyes.
Rick leaned off the counter and looked down to where he last saw the toddler and saw that Andre had fallen asleep against the counter with chocolate smeared around his mouth. Rick began to laugh at the sight just as Carl came out of his bedroom wearing some sweatpants and a t-shirt. His son frowned as he asked, "What is he¬"
"Shhh", Rick hushed, "Tread lightly. He's out like a lamp"
Carl chortled quietly as he joined them at the island while looking down at the toddler, "I wish I was a baby again"
"You're not far off", Rick deadpanned.
Carl made a face at him, "Very funny".
"So what's for dinner?", Michonne asked as she hopped off the bar stool, "Are you cooking anything?"
"Dad doesn't cook. He burns.", Carl snickered as he took her vacant seat.
It was Rick's turn to be offended, "Excuse me? I'll have you know that I can cook- very well, too"
"What can you cook?", Michonne asked as she looked down at her son in surprise, "Oh great. That's going to be fun to clean off."
"Just wipe him off and let him sleep on the couch", Rick suggested, tipping his head towards the paper towels, "I would suggest Carl's bed but…"
"My bedroom's clean", Carl insisted, "You can actually see the floor now"
Rick shuddered at the memory of the rooms previous state, "I'm pleased to hear that I won't be stepping on anythan' cold, wet or cold and wet the next time I go in there"
"Very funny, dad."
Michonne carefully lifted her son up as she tried not to wake him but as soon as his little body was in the air his eyes sprung open and he snapped, "Cake?"
Carl chuckled so hard that he snorted.
"Well, that was short-lived", Rick muttered as he looked at the remaining piece of cake on the counter, "One more piece of cake coming right up".
Spending the afternoon with Michonne, Carl, and Andre was delightful for Rick. He enjoyed seeing them all interact with each other in his home and it started to feel like it was a usual occurrence for Rick.
He didn't realize just how lonely he used to feel after his separation from Lori until he was stood in his kitchen, watching Carl help Andre up to sit beside him on the couch while Michonne looked for the remote to the television. It may not have seemed like a monumental moment to anyone else but it was for him. He was getting a second chance at having a family again, but this time was different. His feelings for Michonne were unlike something he'd felt before. Their relationship was so far from traditional that one would think that neither of them knew the meaning of the word but it was special all the same. He didn't even want to remember what his life was like before he crossed paths with her that faithful night.
Andre was a welcomed addition. Rick didn't think it would be fair of him to enter the boy's life and act as his father initially, but his opinion had changed drastically after his dealings with Mike. He was going to act as his father because that's what felt natural to him, and he couldn't understand how else he was meant to behave. He cared about Andre like one of his own, and that's how he intended to treat him.
He used to worry about how his own son would feel towards their new additions, but he was beginning to think that Carl felt the same way that he did. Even though he hadn't said or done anything out of the ordinary to suggest that he was ecstatic with the change, Rick could tell that his son had realized that his place in the family was safe, and it would always be safe.
After having dinner in front of the tv, and realizing that he had to invest in some dining furniture, Rick had to return Carl to his mother, and Michonne to hers. He didn't want the evening to end but knew that it had to since Andre struggled to keep his head upright when sitting beside Carl. He fell asleep only moments after being strapped in his car seat.
"Are you gonna' thank Michonne for teaching you how to eat pasta with your hands the right way?", Rick asked his son as they stood beside his truck, on the curb of Lori's home.
"Thanks", Carl chirped, waving at Michonne in the passenger seat, "I'm done using forks"
"Yeah, thanks", Rick added sardonically as he slapped a hand on Carl's shoulder.
"Bye, Carl!", She called, waving goodbye to his son.
"Bye!", He called back, allowing his father to lead up him the garden path, "I just don't see the point in using forks anymore, dad"
"Yeah, well good luck figuring out how to eat rice", Rick smirked as he ruffled his sons' hair.
"Michonne said that she'd teach me that, too", His son countered smugly, "I can't wait to show Mickey"
Rick rolled his eyes at his son as they climbed the porch steps. The door swung open before they were even close, and Lori appeared with a smile on her face as she dried her hands with a cloth, "I had a feeling you'd be here"
"Hey mom", Carl greeted cheerfully, "See ya', dad"
Rick planted a kiss on his head before the boy could disappear into his home, "Bye, son"
Carl squeezed past his mother, who gave him a pat on the back as she watched him step into the home. She then turned back to Rick, and inhaled, "So, good day?"
"Yeah. Oh, uh… he came home early…The school called and said he was sick", Rick scratched his brow as he explained the situation, "He threw up when we got him home but he's been fine since"
Lori stared at him, "You didn't think to call me?"
"I should have", Rick nodded in agreement, "And I'm sorry that I didn't but as you can see, he's fine. If I thought it was serious then I would have given you a call but he perked right up after it happened so I think he just ate somethan' bad."
Lori glanced back inside the home and sighed again, "Right. Got it."
"I'll stop by with some money for him tomorrow morning. I'll post it if you're not in", Rick began to back away.
"I signed the papers", She blurted out, causing Rick to stop, "I signed them and gave them to my lawyer. I don't know what's meant to happen next but I did it."
Rick was surprised, but also very pleased. He thought she'd never bring up their divorce. He gave her a slow nodded as he said, "Alright. Thank you."
"Don't mention it. See ya'..."
Rick went back to his truck with a slight spring in his step. It was as if he was being given a new lease on life. It was the final nail in the coffin and it was a long time coming. He hopped back in his truck and smiled at Michonne, which must have seemed strange to her because she frowned at him, "What are you smiling about?"
"...She signed them", He huffed as he turned the key in the ignition, "The divorce papers…"
Rick looked at Michonne when he didn't get the immediate response that he was expecting, and he was met with a set of angry brown eyes, "You're still married?!"
Rick turned switched the engine off and looked at her like she was crazy, "What?"
An evil smile began to spread across her face, and her trademark cackle soon cut through the air.
He shook his head as he started up the engine again, "You're not funny, Michonne"
"That's for laughing at me when I told you that I fell off the dresser", She sniggered, "You should have seen your face"
He reluctantly smiled, "I'm telling your mother about that tattoo"
His girlfriend laughed even louder.
Their ride over to her home continued on a high note, and when they arrived at her apartment Rick took on the task of retrieving a sleeping Andre and carrying him up to their home. He noticed that Michonne grew quiet as they approached the door and it was clear to him that she was thinking about the conversation she was due to have with her mother. She took a deep breath before allowing them in, and in spite of what was in store for them, Rick couldn't help but be distracted by the tasty smell that filled the air.
"Your home", Marie piped as she pulled a dish from the over, "Oh, hello Rick"
"Marie", Rick smiled. He tried to take a peek at what was in the dish but she set it down on the cooker, "Nice to see you again"
"Is it? I'm surprised you can still look me in the eye", She smirked.
Rick inwardly cringed, "Yeah… It's fine, I mean- that can happen sometimes"
Michonne closed the door behind her with a little more force than necessary, "Hi, mom"
Marie set down the oven mitt she was holding and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at her daughter. Rick glanced in Michonne's direction and saw that she had done the same; setting her backpack down on the floor and crossing her arms over her chest. He immediately felt like he shouldn't be there, so cleared his throat as he sidestepped to Michonne's bedroom, "I'll just go and put him down…"
Neither of them said anything, so he did as he said and scurried out of the room. He hoped that they wouldn't argue. He knew how much Michonne's mother meant to her and how willing her mother was to fight anyone for her daughter, so it was unsettling for him to witness them at odds.
He decided that his presence might help keep them at bay, so he placed Andre on his mother's bed with the intention of returning to the kitchen area quickly, but realized the Andre wouldn't be comfortable with his shoes and jacket on. He removed the items of clothing, and was about to put him under the comforter but thought that it wouldn't be comfortable to sleep in a pair of denim jeans. After a hasty search, he found some pajama pants to put on the toddler, and gingerly changed him so he wouldn't wake up. When he was finally dressed in something more pleasant to sleep in, Rick tucked him in his mother's bed and placed his headphones on, just in case.
When Rick returned to the kitchen area it took him several moments to take in the sight before him; Michonne's back was towards him as she embraced Marie, who was rocking from side to side in a soothing motion. When she spotted Rick creeping in she chuckled, "We need to get you a bell"
They broke away from each other while Rick tried to calculate just how he'd left them alone for, "...I think that might be my next purchase."
Michonne dabbed her eyes as she turned to face him, "Sorry about that"
"Don't apologize, it's fine", He insisted. Although he knew that she wasn't hurt in any way and was probably just feeling overwhelmed, he still felt himself on high alert to see that she'd been crying.
"I hope you're staying for dinner, Rick", Marie spoke in a tone that told him there was no room for argument. She looked back at him from over her shoulder as she lifted the lid on something on the stove, "There's plenty of food"
"Oh, I'd hate to put you out…", That sweet smell seeped into his nostrils, "But if there's room then I'd love to"
The sound of little footsteps coming up behind him almost scared the life out of Rick, and spun around to see Andre rubbing his eyes as he called gently, "Mommy?"
Michonne groaned as she scooped him up, "Well someone's going to be on night watch tonight"
"I put the headphones on him", Rick quickly explained, "And he was fast asleep when I left him"
"He could sense that we were having fun without him", She snickered while smoothing her hand over her sons' messy curls, "He didn't want to miss anything"
"Next time I'll throw a piece of cake in his crib¬"
"Make yourselves useful and set the table", Marie instructed with her back to the couple, "I cooked so you two set"
Michonne gave Rick a knowing look as she whispered, "Welcome to the family"
He beamed at her and Andre, his heart swelling devotion as he replied, "I couldn't ask for anythan' better".