"I love you as the mother of my child": the kiss of death.
Mother of His Child: demotion. I am beginning to see this truism: Mothers are not always wives. I have been stripped of a piece of self."
― Suzanne Finnamore, Split: A Memoir of Divorce

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Toddlers were finally asleep in their respective carrier car seats while the men caught up with each other over at Michonne's house.

Rick was holding his youngest daughter who was the only one of the kids that refused to sleep. She was wide a wake and her hazel eyes were on full display. She had a full head of silky curls. Abigail was becoming more and more a Daddy's girl.

Judith latched on to Michonne and would busy about mimicking Michonne. She preferred Michonne over her own mother. She currently thought Andre was her baby to take care of at all times.

It's been a while since Rick, Daryl, Shane, and Abe have been in the same room in a long time. Glen was in Korea to meet a woman he was to marry based on his parents demands that he marry a good korean girl. They did not like Maggie.

"How's business?"

Shane boasted first, "Damn good, right Abe?" The two have gone into business together flipping houses by fixing them up and re-selling them at a much higher cost than when purchased. Abe and Shane clinked beer bottles.

"We got ten bikes on a waiting list and the bikes go for 80k or more. Business is pretty good. I got Meryl helping."

Abe and Shane both said at the same time, "Meryl?!"

"Yeah. He's been working with me and my crew for the last 6 months. What of it?" Daryl looked at the two men.

"He's not causing any problems? You can't take a backwoods racist out of the backwoods and expect him to know how to chew with out spitting." Abe remarked.

"If Shane can do it then why can't my brother?" Daryl was getting defensive.

"Whoa wait a minute..." Shane began.

Daryl over talked him, "Listen to this shit. " He directed his attention to Rick who was patting his baby on the back. Daryl looks at Shane, "I'm still waiting on an apology by the way." Then back to Rick, "This son of bitch going on about you and me allowing the blood line to be tainted. And get this shit...now here is the craziest shit... He still can't get over you picking someone so dark over Jessie. I don't know why this racist motherfucker can't get it in his head that you don't want Jessie'. I know I come from a family of racist. I know how they think and they don't apologize for it but the worst kind is the one that grin in your face and talk bad about you behind your back. My lady." Daryl was trying not to get emotional. Anytime he referred to his Sasha or felt like he had to defend his choice to his family a rage would build. A protectiveness. " My wife is the most beautiful woman I could ever be honored to love me back just the same and she happen to be a woman of color. No matter how light or how dark that is my Lady and if you talk bad about Michonne that is like talking bad about Sasha."

Rick shook his head and walked out of the kitchen to his daughters bedroom.

"I happen to think Michonne is a gorgeous woman. I would definitely have had at it if the opportunity had presented itself." Abe took another gulp of his beer. He knew shit was about to go down. The whole mood shifted and it was irreversable.

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Maggie was amused by how things have changed between the women before her at the table where they were having lunch. Trying to catch up and what use to be topics about family law or Anti trust conversations they were now immersed in marital sex and babies.

"Daryl is content with twice or three times a week." Sasha laughed.

"Shane is always too tired with running the business and trying to keep up with my schedule..."

"But you have a nanny. What's the problem?" Maggie asked.

"We are both just busy it seems."

"You have to make time."

"Well, I don't have that problem. Rick is always ready and this pregnancy doesn't slow him down either."

"I guess he is trying to make up for lost time." They all laughed.

"He's definitely hands on with the kids as am I."

"How's that working out with Lori?" Andrea was concerned about the stipulation that Lori signed regarding having access to Carl and Judith in Michonne's home any time.

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Rick opened the door surprised to see Lori with a new look standing there. The look of surprise caused Lori to blush as Rick took her in from head to toe.

"Wow."

"Hi." Lori blushed.

"Hi."

"I was hoping to see Carl and Judith."

"Um. Yeah. Sure." He stepped aside to allow her to enter.

"You look good Rick." She took in his crisp white buttoned down shirt with the three top buttons undone, denim jeans and barefeet.

"You look fantastic Lori." She blushed again at the compliments.

"Thanks."

"Michonne is out shopping for Judith's birthday party next week. She should be back in a couple of hours."

"I have already bought her a gift." Hearing that Michonne wasn't home gave her an opportunity to come clean and be honest about her original intentions.

"Good. She will be happy. If you want to go to Carl's room I will go and get Judy and bring her to you. She loves Andre so much it's hard to separate her from him. You may have to go in Andre's room she probably won't leave."

"Rick. I lied. I am here to see you. I need to talk to you if you don't mind?"

"Well, sure. He grabbed the baby monitor with video where he could hear and see what was going on with Judith, Andre and their newborn baby Abigail and led Lori into the family room to have a seat.

"Everytime I come over here I can't get over how beautiful everything is in this home. This couch is heaven."

"You remember that sofa your mother gave us for our anniversary gift?"

"Oh my God. Yes. I just thrown it out a few weeks ago."

"We thought that was comfy." They both began to laugh at the memory of the thirty year old couch.

"It served it's purpose."

"Yes. It did. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I miss you."

Rick was startled.

"I miss you Rick. I miss the us before all this happened." She gestured to everything around them.

Rick was silent.

"I want to apologize to you for not being who you needed. I want to thank you for trying to love me despite it all." She said earnestly.

"I don't know exactly what you want me to say. I'm slightly confused." Rick pinched the bridge of his nose, "I feel like there is something you want me to say and I have absolutely no idea what."

"I need closure Rick. I need to know when did you know it was over between us. Like when did you know for sure?"

Rick was even more confused and tongue tied than ever before. It's been a little over two years since they divorced and Michonne had just given birth to their second child together about a month ago. How could he answer a question like that without hurting Lori even more than he intended. He pressed the monitor button to have the camera pan to the crib of his new born daughter who's eyes were beginning to flutter open and closed again. He panned the camera back onto Judith playing with Andre who was in a walker.

"I plan to go back to Deanna. I just wanted to know and not make up scenario's in my head."

"I'm sorry Lori. I'm sorry that you haven't come to terms with everythiing an what I did to you wasn't right. I should have spoke up more. I needed you so bad at one point. I did. I loved you Lori. I did. Looking back I did."

Rick wanted to leave it at that hoping that those words would give Lori peace. He didn't want to hurt her more than she was obviously hurting.

"Do you love her more than you loved me?"

"You were my first love. You are the mother of my two kids." There was no way he was going to tell Lori that Michonne will be forever his last and only love and even through eternity.

Lori began to cry. Rick reached over to console Lori. Lori took the opportunity to kiss Rick full on the lips. His lips didn't react to hers in the way that she thought they would. In that moment she realized he was no longer her Rick. This man was a stranger. Nothing about him was familiar. His scent the slight taste from his lips. She had to let go.

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