Bittersweet
Dinner was a happy affair, full of laughter and story-telling. Glenn had another run-in with Big Mama that day, and the hilarity of it had Maggie and Beth regaling the group with further tales of life on a farm. Animals, it turned out, were quite the source of amusement. It was one of those things that was forgotten in the thick of everything the world had come to. It was nice to see the joy playing out on their faces as Beth wrapped up a story about Shawn and a hog.
"… so eventually we got him outta the feed house, but ya know, he never went 'round that part'a the farm again. Every time Otis needed an extra set of hands, it was always me or Maggie helpin' him."
"Y'know, your accents gotten a lot thicker." Maggie said abruptly, changing the subject.
"What d'ya mean?"
"I mean that, that right there- you sound like an actual southerner for once." She teased, bumping her shoulder with her own. "Where'd ya pick it up from?"
"Oh, um, I dunno; just comes from livin' with everyone in here I guess… I always had an accent, though."
"Not like this. I'm begginin' to reckon we're a bad influence on ya, li'l lady." She drawled heavily in a caricature southern voice, eliciting a laugh. "Seriously, though, where you pickin' that up?"
Beth's eyes drifted towards Daryl of their own accord, where he was perched up on the stairs pretending not to listen beside his brother. "I guess some of the kids or somethin'."
Later, between the shuddering gasps elicited by lips and hands, she told him they had to be more careful.