I have been revising..blah blah..stress xx ;) I was really excited for this chapter sorry it took so long!
Beth and Daryl looked at each other as she unloaded Judith from her car seat and took 'the spare' apartment key from her purse. They had a look of steeled determination on their faces, knowing this was something they had to do together. She gave him a small smile, stepping back form the closed door and waving him off. Carl held her hand and Judith sat on her hip, the perfect image imprinted on the wing mirrors as he drove away.
She opened up the apartment, breathing I the musky scent of spicy aftershave and oil. It hadn't taken long for that smell to make all of her limbs tingly delectably at the thought of memories made and to make in this apartment. But right now she had a job to do, so she moved their bowls from the coffee table and folded the blanket they'd left, along with quickly snatching up her bra from the bedroom floor and shoving it in a draw. With the sweep of the place done she sighed.
Judith crawled across the floor happily, contended to sit for a few minutes in one place and nibble on her own fingers. For the first time Beth was thankful for the lack of knick-knacks and personal items, knowing Judith couldn't choke on some ornament when her back was turned for five seconds.
It was sweet to see her favourite baby girl again, her growth spurts were making it impossible to believe it was the same child, but the soft downy hair and big eyes never changed. Nor did the ever present smile that told them she was too young to understand the events of last night, for which Beth was truly thankful. Instead Judith just wound her hands into Beth's blonde hair as she was picked up.
Carls hands wrapped around his glass of orange juice. Beth could see the concentration on his face to not break or drop the precious glass tumbler that his mother never let him use. But this place wasn't really child proofed. Daryl would have to set up the travel cot when he got back and help her move anything he thought that was valuable. Sighing she watched Carl's sombre face as he twiddled his thumbs in boredom.
''Come on, we're gonna start making a den.'' She hopped out the kitchen, moving Judith to one hip and moving her phone to the counter.
''Is this where you live?'' Carl looked around at the cold white walls and the smiling blonde.
''It's where Daryl lives.'' Beth smiled, unsure how she was meant to answer the question of an innocent kid, without entering into too grown up of a conversation. But Carl didn't seem to mind, he only nodded to himself and followed her down the hall as if it all made perfect sense.
''I thought so, your house would have more flowers.'' His voice was so serious, that it made Beth smile and giggle at his genuine view of her. Passing the blankets form the airing cupboard to him, he held out his arms eager and curious for the day.
Most the roof had been assembled by precarious piling of books and some sneaky duct tape by the time that they heard the door open and close. Sophia came round the corner first, her face was a picture equal to Carl's yesterday, the worry eating her inside out. Daryl rubbed her back gently and introduced her to Carl and Judith. But she spent the first hour or so shadowing the movements of Daryl, speaking to him in a hushed whisper and only ever talking directly at Beth to say what she wanted in her sandwich.
It didn't take a genius to see that Carl soon developed a small crush on the short haired and miserable Sophia. Beth clocked it as soon as his little face lit up with rapt wonderment at the creation of womankind, and started laughing way before Daryl caught on. It took him an hour and seeing Carl show Sophia his latest comic book, the one Daryl himself had been banned from touching in case he messed it up with adult carelessness.
Beth had been right about the den too, the large soft blue blankets when attached and constructed properly made the perfect small space. Soft light streamed through the light colour and a barricade of soft pillows and access to the TV meant films and games could be played in total comfort. The only reason any of them felt like leaving for was food and bathroom trips. The protection from space and time crashing around them served correctly to displace the bitter emotions that they should all be carrying. Misery loves company, and right now all laughing and joking that was no more true.
Of course arguments over the monopoly rules and cruel harshness of Beth competitive nature taking wads of pastel money off Daryl, were going to rear their head. But he simply matched her nature with a rigorous game of operation, using his hunter stillness to beat them all hands down.
It seemed weird to think how these kids had been this morning, Daryl was exhausted at having to chase and carry them around for hours upon hours. His head was pounding from the constant noise of laughing and never-ending fun of the Disney channel background music. But even haggard and aching the sights of Sophia drawing Carol a get better soon card and Carl sat beside her asking questions about her favourite super hero, the kid had a while to go before he got the girls.
He could hear her on the phone with Lori, the house phone pressed between her ear and her shoulder as she stirred her pasta and sauce dinner. The nods and 'don't worries' left her simply sighing and handing up with false cheer and a bit too much force.
''You guys are all sleeping over. So dinner, teeth and bed?'' She smiled kindly and passed out the plates to tuck into. Daryl checked his watch and saw it was about an hour too early to think about trying to settle them, but instead of saying anything his thoughts were interrupted by the realisation of Beth's sneaky nature.
''One more film! Then bed? We promise-'' Sophia struggled to swallow quick enough o breath as well. Her big eyes and pouty face turned to full volume, but her jailor had factored in compromise time, and the fear that she had done that to him before crept into his head.
''Alright, because I'm nice. One film and then bed with no complaining.'' She smile smugly to herself, moving the fork to her mouth and chewing down with a wink in his still staring direction.
They all curled up on the sofa, watching an old rerun of sleeping beauty, at Carl's insistence. It seemed he had caught on that girls like their interests being listened to too. Daryl sighed at the cliché film, not really enjoying it but liking the squash of bodies enough to stay. He smirked at Beth as she sang along under her breath, miming the words and getting teary eyes toward the end. She was a huge contradiction; a mastermind, a child and the strongest person he knew.
By the time the film ended and the shook away dozing Sophia and Carl their protests returned, begging for a story. Beth quickly shook her head reminding them of their promise with a badly hidden smile. And Daryl was the push over, their attention soon turned to him.
''Please, Uncle Daryl. Pleeaaase!'' Sophia adopted her puppy face and Carl gave a crooked toothless smile.
''I'll pour you a glass of wine.'' Beth smirked as he was pulled out the room, tiny baby face peeking over his shoulder and dodging the door frame.
The kids had all crashed, so had Daryl for that matter. She came in to check why he was taking so long tucking them in, to only find him in the middle of the bed, open book on the floor and sleeping baby on his chest. Judith's little face was pouting in her direction, her hands wrapped around her brother's hair next to her, and on the other side Beth could see the straw coloured hair of Sophia. She sipped her glass of wine, feeling the prickling sensation of tear behind her eyes for some ridiculous reason. She was being silly, she was the one who said she wasn't allowed this after all. So why was she crying?
But watching him sleeping there with such a gentility on his face, the kind you miss in him on first inspection unless there are a trio of adorable cherubs around him, made her think. He had taken her in like a little baby bird, months ago he had sat and listened to a rambling fight with her sister. He had shared with her, a stranger, and she hadn't seen him do it since. What was it that he saw in the mess of who she was that made him stay by her side? Surely it had to be more than mere attraction, more than mutual understanding. Honestly she could look Daryl straight in the eye and say that she loved him. That wasn't the issue here.
Broken dreams had followed her from her very first diverted steps, she chose the wrong things and bad decisions. To do the opposite of what she thought was most usually the only way that she got things right, it was exhausting but somehow it was working. But one day he would simply loose interest, he'd see she wasn't fixable and the hobby would be over. Then why did she feel rotten for thinking it? He wasn't the type to do that, it was her own fear making it seem that way. Rational thinking wasn't faring much better- the logic said marry and baby him asap! So she resolved to place away the thoughts, as she cleaned around the apartment.
Judith began to shift and fuss, her little whimpers enough to pull Daryl out of sleep. After a few discombobulated seconds at trying to remember who's baby was on him (thank the fuck it was Ricks!) he slipped out of the comfortable bed. He moaned and grumbled his way to the kitchen, trying to do that bouncy hip thing Beth did but simply jolting her so she cried louder instead. Perhaps this was good enough reason why men stay virgins into their 40s to avoid the risk of 3am groggy bottle calls.
Daryl was no idiot, he knew the principles of making a bottle, if mostly through observing and listening to Beth teach him hours earlier. The issue was he wasn't entirely sure how he was meant to do it all whilst holding a baby with two hands. Was he allowed to balance a baby? Wait, she was wriggling- no, no he was not attempting to juggle baby and hot water. He heard his own loud sigh, and then the scuffle of a bleary eyed Beth looking at him from over the couch.
She smiled tentatively at him, standing up and stretching so a thin strip of her pale stomach was on show. Beth waking up always surprised him, she brushed off tiredness like the literal blanket and became this shining and smiling woman. The opposite was true of her being tired, then she was moody and argumentative until falling into a deep sleep. No, dear, you don't ever snore (just most nights). Beth took the baby off him, immediately rocking slowly and muttering little words to the child between little kisses. By this time Judith was getting frustrated tiny tears forming and pathetic whimpers becoming slowly louder. The change of holder relieved her anxiety somewhat and as if knowing it was happening she joined bath in watched Daryl make her warm bottle.
''You don't have to sleep on the couch.'' He leant down and tickled Judith's arm nicely so she gave a begrudged moment of contented silence, before he gazed into the unfathomable depth of Beth's blue eyes.
''The bed seemed pretty occupied to me,'' she gave a little sideway smile and passed him the sterilised bottle, letting her hand linger a second longer than strictly necessary.
''Sorry-'' he blushed adorably, measuring out power carefully with the can held an inch from his face, obviously re-reading the instructions five times.
''Don't apologise, you were cute.'' She stuck her tongue and dodged the light whip of the tea towel against her arse.
Judith settled down soon after achieving her goal of a warm bottle, her lethargic tiredness once again becoming apparent in compliance of being burped and lay down in the travel cot. Beth brushed a thumb over the child's face, sadly imaging what it would've been like for her and her child. Taking a sigh and shaking her head softly, Daryl watched her move herself back under the light blue cover of their former den.
He walked over, took the uncomfortable belt form his jeans and slipped in to the blanket next to her. The feel of her soft, smooth skin always made him want to groan with the welcoming comfort, but this moment of mid-morning tiredness made it a new bliss.
''Whatcha doin'?'' Beth craned her neck round to look at him, little eyebrows quirked in opposite directions as he simply squeezed her slightly tightly.
''Not letting my woman sleep on the couch alone, what sort of man does that make me?'' He kissed her forehead and she accommodated him by moving across. It was a tight squeeze, but it would be a lie to say that it was the first time they had learnt how to balance one another on the narrow cushions.
''G'dnight, angel.''