Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Walking Dead. All characters belong to the creators of the graphic novels and television series.
Summer Sisters
Chapter 1: Cabin 5
"Alright, campers. Fifteen minutes until lights out!" Camp counselor Tara flicked the lights off and back on to warn the eight girls in Cabin 5 that bedtime was fast approaching. Sophia Mason spat her toothpaste into the sink and rinsed her mouth. She turned and walked out to find her bunk mate sitting on her bed.
"Hey, the top bunk is yours," Sophia reminded her. Lydia's shoulders slumped, and Sophia sat down beside her. "What's wrong?"
"We're leaving tomorrow," Lydia said quietly. "I won't see you again."
"I know," Sophia sighed. "But we can write to each other. My mom said she's getting me a cell phone for emergencies before school starts. Maybe she'll let me call you."
"Maybe," Lydia said with a little shrug. "I wish you could come back with me until Summer's over."
"Or you could come with me! You'd love L.A. There's so much to do! Mom travels a lot, but she usually takes me with her when I have a break at school."
"Your mom sounds so cool," Lydia sighed. "She really gets paid to take pictures?"
"Yeah. She's gone all over the world. She takes thousands of pictures, and they only pick two or three, but she gets paid to do all of it."
"This is the first time I've ever been out of Georgia," Lydia said with wide eyes. "My dad works a lot."
"I wish you could come stay with us," Sophia sighed.
"Me too. But my dad would never go for it. He was so nervous about me coming here for a whole month." Lydia sighed.
"Your dad sounds really nice though," Sophia said quietly. "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if our parents got married? We'd be sisters." Lydia giggled.
"Yeah, and we could move to L.A. Or you could move to Georgia."
"We'd see each other all the time!" Sophia pointed out.
"Well, do you think your mom would like my dad? What kind of guys does she go out with?"
"She doesn't really," Sophia shrugged. "I mean, she works a lot, and then she's home with me. I don't know what she does when I'm at school, but she hasn't had a boyfriend in a long time." Lydia giggled then, and Sophia laughed.
"My dad doesn't have a girlfriend, either. I think it's because he works all the time. Maybe they would like each other. They're both busy a lot. And they both have a kid. I mean, that's two things they have in common."
"I think it'd take a lot to make my mom fall in love with him. She's too busy taking pictures and taking care of me."
"Yeah. Well, maybe tomorrow we can let them meet. What time's your mom coming?"
"I think she's coming at ten."
"My dad's coming around then, too!"
"Lights out, campers!" Tara called through the door. Lydia sighed and scrambled to climb up into the top bunk. When the lights went out, she hung her head over the side of the bed.
"Soph?"
"Yeah?"
"I have a really good idea."
"Yeah?" Sophia asked, sitting up in bed.
"Yeah," Lydia whispered. "I think I know a way we can get to see each other after camp and get our parents talking."
"How?" Sophia asked. Lydia giggled.
"Your mom travels a lot, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well…"
...
Carol leaned her head back against the headrest of the rental car she'd gotten at the airport. She was thankful for the air conditioning, considering she was stuck in a construction zone. She tapped her fingers impatiently against the steering wheel and glanced at the clock. She had an hour before she had to be at Camp Broken Arrow, but it was looking like she was going to be late.
She ran her fingers through her short, auburn-brown hair, thankful for the recent haircut.
Her ringtone chimed over the car speakers, and she pressed a button on the steering wheel.
"Carol Mason."
"You always answer your phone like you're expecting a conference call," the voice laughed. Carol smirked and shook her head.
"Sorry. I'm stuck in the middle of the freaking desert, and they're doing road construction. It's slow moving. What's up, Andrea?"
"Oh, just scarfing down my lunch between clients. I grabbed your mail and put it on your table on my way to work."
"Thanks. You are the best. Ugh, this construction!"
"Relax. You're in Arizona. Hell, if you look out your window right now, you'll probably see something worthy of one of your award winning photos." Carol looked out her window, and Andrea wasn't wrong. She grabbed her camera out of the passenger's seat and quickly snapped a few photos.
"I'm just worried about being late to the campground."
"It's summer camp. I don't think they're going to put you in jail if you're late. Besides, there's probably other parents stuck in the same situation you are. I wouldn't worry."
"Yeah, I know. It's just…this is the longest I've ever been away from her. I know this was her idea. She didn't want to travel all summer, but…"
"But she's your baby. I know."
"Yeah," Carol sighed.
"Are you going to be home tomorrow?"
"Actually, I talked with Soph of the phone last night. I told her I was going to take her to the Grand Canyon. She's always wanted to see it, and I figure I can get some great shots in that I missed last time I was there."
"Oh, good call. Maybe you'll meet some eligible bachelors there."
"Oh, here we go again," Carol sighed.
"What? Come on, I'm just looking out for you. You've got to get out there and have some fun."
"I'm hanging up now…"
"Fine! Fine. I'll grab your mail for a few more days."
"Thanks, Andrea. You're a great friend."
"Yes, I am! And as a great friend, I'm telling you that you need to get out there and meet somebody. I've seen you checking guys out when we go out for drinks. How long's it been since you've gotten a good…"
"Andrea!"
"Well?"
"I'm really hanging up now."
"Have fun and I'll see you soon." Carol ended the call and shook her head, unable to suppress the blush in her cheeks and the grin on her face. Andrea had been hinting at Carol dating for a while now. She kept telling herself that there just wasn't any time, but that was a lie. She worked from home, she submitted her photos to the publisher and got paid to travel. During Sophia's school year, she cut back on the traveling and lived off of the royalties from her published photos. It was a more than comfortable life, but Carol just hadn't felt the desire to really get out there and mingle. She'd had a few dates here and there, but none of them had gone anywhere past two or three dates. She was a single mom with a job that kept her on the move. If she did find somebody she was really interested in, who was to say they'd want to commit to someone who traveled as much as she did?
Finally, traffic started to speed up, and Carol breathed a sigh of relief before stepping on the gas and continuing on toward Camp Broken Arrow.
...
"Dad!" Lydia squealed, hurrying over and practically tackling her father when she caught sight of him up by the Counselor's Office. He wrapped her in a tight hug and kissed the top of her hair.
"You get taller?"
"No," she laughed.
"I swear you got taller since I dropped you off here."
"Dad," she laughed.
"Missed you, kiddo."
"I missed you too, Daddy." She grabbed his hand and started dragging him down the path.
"Where we going?"
"I want you to meet somebody. She's really nice, daddy. Her name's Sophia, and she lives in California, and she's traveled all over the world. And she's my best friend."
"Best friend, huh? And I was worried you wouldn't have any fun."
"Sophia!" Lydia called, as Sophia came walking out of Cabin 5 with her backpack draped over one shoulder. Sophia waved excitedly and came hurrying to meet them halfway. "Sophia. This is my dad, Daryl. Dad, this is Sophia Mason, my best friend."
"Nice to meet ya, Sophia. You girls have a fun time?"
"Yeah! I taught Lydia how to swim."
"Yeah, she has a swimming pool at home, Dad. And she lives close to the ocean." Daryl chuckled as Lydia chattered on and on excitedly. "But she's never been to Georgia. She's been everywhere, daddy. But she hasn't been to Georgia. Isn't that funny?"
"That's…that's somethin'," he chuckled, as Lydia bounced on her heels. "You eat a bag of sugar for breakfast?" Lydia rolled her eyes, and she looked at Sophia.
"Is your mom here yet?" She raised her eyebrows, and Sophia shook her head.
"No, I haven't seen her."
"She might've got stuck in some of that road construction back on the highway," Daryl offered. "M'sure she'll be here soon. Lydia, you ready?"
"Daddy, can we wait 'til her mom gets here? I still have to get her phone number and address. Oh, and I forgot something in my bunk. Can we wait, daddy? Please?"
"Well, I was hopin' to find a hotel before it gets dark, but we can wait a few. There a place to get a drink of water 'round here?"
"Uh-huh. The mess hall," Sophia said with a nod, pointing to the big building out in the middle of all the cabins.
"Alright. Thanks. Lydia, I'll meet you right here in five minutes, alright?"
"Okay." She smiled and turned back to Sophia, while Daryl started for the mess hall. Inside, there were a few kids with their parents having juice and snacks. Daryl grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler, and he took a long swig. He jumped, however, when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he quickly turned to look into the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen.
"Sorry," she grinned sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh, it's ok," he chuckled.
"I think I got turned around. I'm looking for Cabin 5. My daughter…"
"Cabin 5? Yeah, it's just out here. My daughter's in there, too."
"Oh, good. They didn't have cabin assignments when I dropped her off. I'm just so anxious to see her."
"Yeah, I'll take you there."
"Thank you." She smiled at him, and he felt the back of his neck grow hot. She was stunning. From her beautiful eyes to the creamy, freckled skin on her collarbones, she was just the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. She wore a light blue top that hung off of her shoulders and clung to her in just the right places.
He suddenly felt like an asshole for checking out some random kid's mom in the middle of the summer camp mess hall.
He put the cap on his water bottle and motioned toward the door, gesturing for her to go first. She smiled again, and he couldn't help but check out her ass as she walked out the door. He bit his tongue and desperately tried to think of more appropriate things as they walked down the path.
"Cabin 5 is just over…"
"Mom!" Sophia came running down the sidewalk.
"Sophia!" Carol chirped. "Oh, I missed you." She wrapped her daughter in a bear hug, and Lydia came running over. Daryl cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his throat.
"So, you're Sophia's mom."
"Hmm. Sophia, who's your friend?"
"Mom, this is Lydia. She's my best friend. We met on the first day of camp. This is Lydia's dad."
"Uh, hi. I'm, uh, Daryl Dixon." He held his hand out, and Carol reached out to shake it. Her fingers were soft and warm, and he suddenly realized his palms were sweating.
"Carol Mason. It's nice to meet you. And thank you, again, for showing me over."
"Yeah. Not a problem." He looked to Lydia. "You ready to go, kiddo? You get everything?"
"Yeah, but can we maybe have lunch or something?" Lydia asked.
"Yeah, please?" Sophia asked.
"I'm sorry, Soph. We have reservations. We have a check in time. I wish we could stay, but did you get Lydia's phone number?"
"Yeah," Sophia said glumly.
"Lydia, it was so nice to meet you. I'm glad you girls had a fun time. If it's alright with your dad, Sophia can call you." She looked to Daryl, and he nodded. "And you can call Sophia anytime."
"Yeah, we'll figure out the time difference so nobody gets woke up," Daryl chuckled. "Alright, kiddo?" Lydia nodded.
"Okay. We should go, sweetheart," Carol urged. Sophia looked up at her mother and then back to Lydia.
"Thanks for teaching me to swim," Lydia said with a smile. "Maybe we can both come back here next summer."
"Yeah! Mom?" Sophia asked.
"We'll talk about it, but I think that sounds like a nice idea," Carol offered. Sophia's smile widened then, and she hugged Lydia. A few minutes later, the girls were talking excitedly up ahead, while Carol and Daryl lugged the rest of their things out to the parking lot.
"Pretty sure this damn suitcase was ten pounds lighter when she got here," Daryl snorted.
"Yeah. Sophia probably collected every rock she found." She grunted and hoisted the suitcase up onto the sidewalk.
"Want me to help with that?"
"Oh, I've got it. Thanks though."
"So. California, huh?"
"Yeah," she sighed. "It's not as glamorous as it sounds."
"Lydia sure thinks so. I think Sophia made an impression on her."
"Likewise," Carol smiled.
"What is it you do out there? Sounds like maybe you travel a lot."
"I'm a photographer for a publishing company. I travel and take photos for coffee table books."
"You get paid to travel and take pictures?"
"Yeah."
"Sounds pretty glamorous," he grinned.
"Oh, trust me. Some of these places are crowded and stressful. The pictures only look peaceful because of camera angles. Believe me." She sighed. "I'm not complaining any. I love my job, and I love that it gives me the freedom to be there more for my daughter. But sometimes it'd be nice to stay home for more than a month at a time." She looked at him. "So, Georgia?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Work for the Atlanta Fire Department."
"A fireman?" Carol asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Been at it for goin' on thirteen years. It pays the bills. Keeps us comfortable." Carol smiled. "Don't get out of Georgia much. This was Lydia's first time away from home."
"Yeah, Sophia's, too. She travels with me a lot, but she's never been away for me for longer than a few days." Carol unlocked the car and pushed the button on her keychain to pop the trunk.
"Here, I'll help." He lifted the suitcase with ease and put it in the trunk.
"Thanks," Carol smiled. He nodded. "Well, if you aren't in a hurry to get back home, there are some beautiful places around here. Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell. They're way up north in Page, but they're worth a stop."
"Yeah? Thanks for the tip. Was nice meetin' you."
"You, too, Daryl. Have a safe trip."
"Yeah, you too," he nodded and turned towards the girls. "Alright, Lydia. Let's go home."
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think!