Hello my loyal one reader (who has probably stopped reading as well LOL). Anyways I'm back and I'll try and be more consistent now that my work hours are more consistent. Alrighty here we go!
Delilah Grimes scrubbed vigorously at her cast iron skillet while she glared at her oldest son and his soon to be ex-wife arguing in the backyard.
Rick had requested she give them privacy but Delilah had compromised by keeping the window open and the little bits of conversation that she could hear over her cleaning was pissing her off.
From what she could hear Rick was letting Lori know about Carl's latest outburst.
That night after his fork missed another piece of roasted his broccoli, Carl pushed himself away from the table and screamed curse words that made Delilah blush and Rick fume. This has become a more frequent occurrence in the last few months and couldn't be ignored any longer.
After Carl's display Rick sent him to his room where he remained until Lori came to pick him up.
"It's not a ridiculous idea Lori! He needs to talk about what's going on with him!" Rick pleaded as he pointed back to the house and Lori pulled at her hair nervously.
Delilah narrowed her eyes as she listened quietly for Lori's response.
When it didn't come, Delilah dropped her sponge and began to move to the background. She was about the open the backdoor when Aaron grabbed her arm.
"Mom," Aaron sighed as he stepped in front of her, "He asked to speak to her alone." Aaron reminded her gently and she rolled her hazel eyes staring up at her boy. She smiled warmly as she saw her husband in her youngest son and was reminded of her beloved's kindness whenever in the presence of Aaron.
She held a hand on his cheek and was about to relent when she heard Rick and Lori's raised voices coming from the backyard. She dropped her hand and took a breath before turning back to the backyard. Rick had his head hung and nodded as Lori talked to his bowed head. She hated how small her boy looked, it made her especially upset that he looked so small in the presence of that girl Lori.
"I don't want our business out there to some stranger. We just need to do a better job as parents we can fix this- we just have to try." Lori insisted and Deillah felt her blood run hot at the implementation that Lori was . We. We.
She kept saying that they both needed to try like Rick wasn't the one sitting up with Carl and holding him as he sobbed through a night terror at night. She said they both needed to try harder like Rick wasn't the one who held a vigil by their son's bedside every night until he woke up.
She said they needed to try harder like Rick wasn't the one who had suggested family therapy as a solution in the first place!
Aaron may have inherited Gene's kindhearted and patient nature but Rick got Delilah's stubborn loyalty. And she wasn't about to let Rick go about this alone.
Having made up her mind she opened the door and marched towards Rick and Lori with Aaron hot on her trail.
"Now you listen here!" Delilah began her Alabama drawl thicker than it had sounded in years. She would love to show little Lori just how backwoods she could get. Lori wrapped her arms over her stomach in a defensive pose and Delilah scoffed, stepping even closer to her.
"I ain't gonna hurt you girl- not unless you don't start listening." Delilah explained and Rick stepped between them and took a deep breath.
"Ma-. I told you this is between me and Lori." Rick explained and his tired blue eyes pleaded with her to stop.
"Rick this had gone on long enough. Lori isn't around Carl enough to know what he's been like. It's getting worse, he's getting worse. He's not the same!" Delilah yelled and Aaron hissed at everyone to be quiet but his warning came too late.
Everyone looked to the doorway to see Carl squinting at them. His hair covered almost all of his face but everyone could make out the tears rolling down his flushed cheeks.
"I know I'm not okay. I've never felt further from myself- than who I was." Carl began quietly and Delilah regretted what she had said instantly. She took a step towards Carl and he shook his head.
"I don't know how to stop- I just get so angry," He took a deep breath that seemed to do little to calm his nerves before he continued, "I'm so fucking angry." Carl seethed and Delilah looked back at Rick who was silently crying too.
"Then please let us get you some help." Rick said as he took three quick steps to Carl, ignoring the way he took a step away from everyone. "Somebody you can talk to."
"I just want everything to go back to normal. I want to go back to baseball practice and hang out with Duane on the weekends. I don't want to come home Grandma and Uncle Aaron or Uncle Eric. I want to come home and have you there dad, have you there mom." Carl said through his tears which made his voice thick and raspy. "Jesus I don't want a brother or sister, especially if it's mom and Shane's." Carl grumbled and Rick reared back from Carl and looked down at the ground immediately.
Carl's last statement stunned everyone into silence, everyone except for Lori who took a step forward and reached for Rick's hand.
Delilah frowned so deeply at the gesture that she wondered if her face would stay that way forever.
"Baby, your father and I think it's time you start going to therapy." Lori said gently and Delilah let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
The gaul of this woman…
Rick looked down at their joined hands but decided to ignore for the moment in the spirit of coming as a united front for Carl.
"It could be good. We can go all together- see if we like it, and we will always move at your pace. Always." Rick promised as he removed his hand from Lori's and stepped completely in front of Carl placing his hands on Carl's trembling shoulders. "I won't let you slip any further Carl." Rick vowed as he gripped Carl's shoulders gently.
"Okay." Carl agreed quietly and Rick let out a breath of relief which reflected almost everyone's feelings.
Everyone except Lori who despite what she had just said to Carl, continued to look apprehensive about the whole idea. Delilah noticed this and curled her fists at the unpleasant woman.
"Alright let's get you ready for your visit with your mom." Rick said as he guided Carl back into the house.
Aaron followed inside and Lori was about to follow suit when Delilah grabbed her arm.
Looking to see if the two had followed Aaron turned to look behind him and raised a brow when he saw the two had stayed back.
"Mom?" Aaron asked and Delilah loosened her hold on Lori but kept her close.
"We're okay, just go see about Gracie and Eric." Delilah insisted and Aaron looked between the two women. Lori was staring hard at the ground and Delilah didn't blink an eye as she stared Lori down.
He looked at them for a beat before moving back into the house and closing the door behind him.
"You listen here," Delilah began and Lori flinched away from her and put some distance between the two, Delilah filled in the space once more before continuing, "Are you listening? Because I will not repeat myself." And even though Delilah stood at only 5'0 , Lori felt tiny in her demanding presence.
"I always knew you were stupid but I didn't think that you were this damn dense." Delilah hissed her voice low and Lori gasped at her harsh words.
"Wait a minute Delilah-." Lori began but Delilah held up her hand.
"Whatever it is you're trying to do by keeping those boys and yourself from therapy has got to be the most asinine thing I've seen in awhile. Now you're gonna stop this damn pity party that you've been throwing for yourself and you are going to help put back the lives of my boys. The lives that you have a big part of destroying. And that does not mean I want you trying to get Rick back. You made damn sure that's never going to happen again." Delilah sneered as she looked down at Lori's protruding belly. Lori closed her eyes as tears burst through.
Delilah sighed and pulled out one of her pressed handkerchiefs she kept on her for. She handed it to Lori and she mumbled a pitiful thank you as she wiped at her face.
"I mean it Lori. You need to try harder. It's the least you can do."
"I just don't want everyone knowing our business.." Lori defended lamely and Delilah laughed so hard it startled both her and Lori.
"Oh honey," She said through her laughter and Lori frown grew even deeper, "If you dont think everyone doesn't already know exactly what you and Shane Walsh have done to my boys then you have got to be the dumbest girl this side of the Mason Dixon line."
"You're being cruel. I am still Carl's mother and still Rick's wife."
"You are still technically Rick's wife !" Delilah was quick to correct her and Lori whipped at her face before standing up straighter.
"And that's gotta mean something. Now Delilah I know you never have liked me, but I'm only doing what is best for me and my family. I need you to respect that." Lori said standing a little taller. Delilah regarded her for a moment before nodding.
"It really is a shame how you turned out. Everyone adored your mama but somehow you turned out so," Delilah sneered at Lori and her harsh gaze made Lori squirm, "So common." She settled and Lori back fresh tears.
"I am trying." Lori insisted weakly and Delilah smoothed her hands down the front of her dress.
"Of course you are honey." She said with a smile as she began to walk away.
Lori stood in the backyard of her and Rick's house for a moment and considered Delilah and Rick's words.
She couldn't deny that Carl needed something that he wasn't currently getting at home.
So that night Lori put aside her pride and made plans with Carl and Rick to attend a family therapy session the following week.
And when Delilah heard this she decided it was finally time for her and Aaron to leave.