We said our goodbyes at the tent, Daryl walking off towards the men and I myself heading into the house. When I reached the farmhouse, the women had already started preparing the vegetables.
Maggie and Lori both smiled up at me, and I entered the room awkwardly, waving at them both.
"Hey sweetheart." Lori grinned, sliding a knife a some carrots in my directions. I eyed them suspiciously, picking up the knife. Maggie laughed at me, watching me. I didn't want to admit it, but I couldn't cook. I lived off of ramen and microwave dinners as a college student.
"I'm not sure how much help I'll be. I was a college student after all." Lori laughed, and so did Maggie.
"Just cut em up best you can." Lori reassured me. "Leave the cooking to the housewife." I did as I was told, chopping the carrots slowly. The room grew quiet and Maggie broke the silence, clearing her throat.
"Did, uh, did Rick say anything about Glenn when he got back to town?" Lori looked up at her, eyeing her cautiously. The last time the women had spoken Maggie was livid so I was concerned with how this conversation would go.
"Just that it'd gotten pretty bad." Lori replied, returning to her work. Maggie sighed.
"He's not the same. Says he froze. Blames me, says I got in his head." I narrowed my eyes at her, shaking my head.
"Froze? Did he elaborate?" Maggie shrugged, cutting more tomatos. "When we arrived at town he was pretty happy with your last conversation, despite the fact that he felt like an asshole for not returning the favor." I chuckled, scraping my carrots into a nearby bowl. Maggie pondered what I said for a moment.
"He came back, that's what matters." Lori reassured her. "Men have to do certain things, you know that, and they're either gonna blame the little woman as the reason they do em, or the reason they dont." Lori seemed to be speaking from experience and I nodded my head, making a mental note to remember her words. "I'll tell you something. What happens out there, happens out there. We just have to keep it together till they get back."
"Things were good. Maybe I-" Maggie started but Lori interrupted her.
"Glenn's a big boy. He makes his own choices." Lori grabbed up a cucumber, taking a bite.
"Do you have anything to apologize for?" I looked at Maggie, watching for her reply. She paused thoughtfully, shaking her head. Lori shrugged and we both shared a look before she spoke again.
"Tell him to man up and pull himself together." Lori said bluntly, taking another bite. I snickered, chopping into another carrot.
"Just don't say man up." I laughed, and so did Maggie. Lori nodded her head in agreement, also smiling. "That never goes well."
"Let me just get this to Beth." Maggie said, grabbing up a small tray of food. Lori shook her head, pointing the food at the table.
"You keep cutting, I got it." Lori offered, picking up the tray and walking out of the kitchen. Maggie looked at me and we sat awkwardly. She smiled, grabbing the knife again.
"So you and Daryl? I assume you don't have to tell him to man up often, huh?" I rolled my eyes, blushing heavily. I had finished with that carrot and now moved on to the potatoes.
"I find myself having to tell him to man down more often than not." I wiped my brow, glancing up at her. "It's like we're both at the extremes here." I laughed with her.
Dinner had been prepared and I was left in the kitchen watching it cook. Maggie wandered off to find Glenn while I stared out the window at camp where the man sat starting the fire. T-Dog teased Glenn and the boy shoved him, nearly knocking him over. I can only imagine what he said to him.
Lori re-entered the room, bringing with her the tray that she took up to Beth. I watched her as she disassembled it. Beth hadn't touched her food and I frowned.
"Wasn't hungry?" I asked, forcing a smiled.
"No, apparently not." Lori looked at the tray confused before she continued. "I think we're gonna go for a walk." Again she went silent, looking at the fork she held in her hand. I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Didn't you send a knife up there?" I asked quietly. Lori looked at me, both of our eyes growing wide. We bolted for the stairs, trying to be as calm as possible as we ascended. Lori opened the door quickly.
"Beth?" She asked. I looked at the bed where the girl laid, my eyes searching the room. Lori looked under the table, before standing up and shaking her head. "You give it to me sweetheart." She demanded. "You don't want to do this."
I watched the girl on the bed cautiously. She said nothing, but slowly brought her hand out from under the covers, holding out the knife. Lori took it carefully, handing it over to me. She looked at the girl once before fleeing from the door.
I followed her down the hallways silently and she turned to me.
"Put that knife away, I don't care if you hide all of them, I'm going to find Hershel." I nodded at her, following her down the steps. I waited at the porch, watching her run across the field. The group looked up at the house and I crossed my arms glancing over my shoulder.
Lori began to head back, Maggie and Andrea hot on her heels. Maggie was furious and she looked at me briefly before brushing past me, heading up the stairs. I walked into the kitchen after Lori and Andrea, leaning against a counter top. Muffled yelling came from eth second floor and I looked at Lori.
"What did you tell her?" I asked her, wide eyed. Lori shrugged, running a hand down her face.
"I told them what happened." She said plainly.
"Where's Hershel?" Andrea asked impatiently, the yelling growing louder. Again Lori shrugged, grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl.
"You don't want him finding out yet. We'll let them work it out." I said quietly, knowing all to wel how family arguments went.
"That's working it out?" Andrea asked me, astonished. I nodded.
"When Beth stops fighting, that's when it's time to worry." The arguing continued upstairs and one of the girls shrieked.
"You are being so selfish!" Maggie yelled loudly from upstairs.
"This could have been handled better." Andrea said softly. Lori glanced at her, brow raised.
"How so?" The sheriff's wife sighed.
"You shouldn't have taken the knife away." Andrea said matter of factly. My mouth dropped open and Andrea looked at me, unfeeling.
"Excuse me?" Lori asked, knowing full well that she heard right.
"You were wrong." Andrea challenged. "Like Dale taking my gun, that wasn't your decision." I sighed, rolling my eyes. Here we go again. "She has to choose to live on her own. She has to find her own reasons."
"Want me to tie a noose for her?"
"If she's serious, she'll figure out another way." Andrea shrugged.
"Doesn't mean we cant stop her." I interjected. Somewhere between when we met and now Andrea had crossed a line, a line that I knew by the name of Shane.
"She only had so many choices in front of her, and she believes the best one is suicide."
"That's not an option."
"Of course it is." Andrea snapped back. I flinched, growing tired of all the arguing. "She doesn't need to be yelled at our treated like a child."
"She needs a loaded gun right? You'll understand if I don't send you in there." Andrea was taken back by Lori's comment and she looked at her heatedly.
"I came through it!" Andrea defended herself.
"And became such a productive member of the group." My eyes widened and I shied away at Lori's comment. This was going to escalate. Andrea shook her head, chuckling in response.
"I contribute, I help keep this place safe!" Andrea scoffed. Lori smiled, her patience waning.
"I think Beau here may have a different opinion on that." Lori snapped. The room grew quiet and I shook my head. Andrea looked at me for help, but I gave her none, she did shoot me after all.
"And what would you have me do around camp?" Andrea asked after a long pause.
"Oh, there's plenty of work to go around." Andrea scoffed again, looking at me.
"Are you serious? Beau hasn't done a single chore since we got to this farm, She's out on patrol, running around after people, but you're in my face about laundry?" Andrea glared at me and I crossed my arms across my chest, returning the look.
"Yeah, well I'm not running around shooting people, while claiming to be helping." I said bitterly, officially entering the fight. Andrea clicked her tongue at me, shaking her head.
"I was up on that RV protecting camp against walkers. That's more important than mint leaves in the lemonade!" She shouted angrily.
"We are providing stability. We are trying to make a life worth living here." Lori interjected.
"Are you kidding me?!" Andrea exclaimed in disbelief. "You take everything for granted. Your husband came back from the dead, your son too, and now you've got a baby on the way." Andrea's glare turned to me and she stared me down coolly. "And you, It must be nice to have Daryl so far up your ass he walks for you. Does it feel good to have your own bodyguard? The rest of us have piled up our losses, me, Carol, Beth-"
"I lost plenty of people too. Before I even knew you." I seethed. Andrea nodded her head, chuckling.
"You've been here for a few weeks? And already you walk around like you own the place, always inserting your opinions. So go ahead, go in there and tell that little girl everything will be okay, just like it is for you guys." Andrea inhaled deeply before continuing. "She'll find a husband, a boyfriend even, have a baby." Andrea trailed off, glared daggers at both of us. "She just has to look on the bright side." Andrea mocked, before turning a marching out of the room.