…

Beth had let her inside, but Annette knew that her daughter didn't want her there. Beth's body was stiff; tense. She was fidgeting with her fingers and it seemed like she wasn't breathing as much as she should be. Annette knew that ambushing her like this wasn't the best way to have done this, but she and Shawn had watched from their car at a gas station for hours yesterday before returning home. Returning here to Orson so soon hadn't been the plan, but Annette woke up this morning and all she wanted to do was see her daughter again.

She hadn't told Shawn she was going back and as soon as Hershel left to go visit the Pastor from their church, Annette was in the car, heading back west to Beth. She hadn't expected to come anywhere near the front door of Beth's trailer and she certainly hadn't been planning on knocking on the door.

But here she was, standing just inside and looking at her daughter, standing right in front of her, for the first time in five years. Even in a messy knot on top of her head, Annette could tell that Beth's hair was a little shorter than it had been the last time Annette saw her when she was eighteen, but other than that, her daughter looked like she hadn't aged a day.

Annette wondered what Beth saw when she looked at her. How much hate and anger was in Beth's heart in regards to her mother? Annette was terrified to find out, but she was going to. She needed to know, but she wouldn't make demands. She had absolutely no right in the world to demand anything from Beth. If Beth kicked her out right now, Annette would understand; and she would also know how Beth felt towards her if Beth didn't want to see or speak with her and Annette couldn't blame her.

"I need something to drink," Beth then said; suddenly. "I have tea. Would you like a cup?"

"That sounds wonderful," Annette nodded. "Could I use your bathroom?"

Beth nodded, already turning back towards the kitchen, and Annette laid her purse on the floor next to the front door and went down the short hallway, the doorway the first door on the right. She closed the door and admitted to looking around for the first minute; just to see how Beth had decorated. She had done the same when Maggie and Shawn had moved out and gotten their own places. She loved seeing her children's tastes and how they filled spaces.

Annette recognized things from Aldi – she and Hershel shopping at Aldi about once a week for this or that. Beth's bathroom was in teal blue and white. In the bathtub, there was a basket drilled into the tiled wall that housed bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash. There was a plastic bucket suctioned-cupped to the wall and Annette peeked in to see a bottle of bubble bath, a plastic pirate bath toy and a green frog.

She should have brought George a toy. He was her first grandchild and even if this morning had been so completely unplanned, she should have been prepared nonetheless. What did George like? What toy would George want? Annette wanted to know him. She wanted to know her daughter, too; more than anything.

If she could go back in time, she would only go back five years and change everything about that afternoon when Beth told them that she was leaving with Patrick and Hershel had all, but pushed her out the door in his anger, slamming it shut behind her. Annette hadn't done a thing to stop either of them. She had been angry, too, like Hershel and she had thought Beth was making the biggest mistake and she was hurt and angry that Beth was so determined to ignore her parents and what they thought was best for her.

But that was the past. She knew she and Beth had to talk about it – and they would – but it would have to stay there because they couldn't change it. From this moment on, they could only move forward. Annette could only hope and pray that Beth wanted to move forward with Annette in hers and George's lives.

After flushing, Annette went to the sink to wash her hands. She smiled the instant she saw the bar of soap in the soap dish next to the sink. She almost wanted to cry at the sight of the bar of soap – lavender and honey scented. Beth had always loved washing her hands with bar soap always more than liquid soap. That small thing about Beth was still Beth.

Outside the bathroom, Annette couldn't help, but glance into the two bedrooms. One was completely empty, but the other had clothes folded neatly on the floor as well as a folded bed comforter with two pillows on top of it. Neither room had a bed. Did that mean Beth and George were sleeping on the floor?

Back in the large combined room of the living and dining room and kitchen, Annette saw Beth at the stove. She noted that Beth didn't have a tea pot and was boiling the water in a sauce pan. She had two white coffee cups and after splitting the water in the two cups and the waiting tea bags, Beth tossed a dish towel over both cups, covering them to steep the tea.

It was obvious that Beth and George didn't have a lot, but everything was clean and Beth had chosen everything in this home with great care. It was so hot though. The air was heavy and the windows open and the fan on the stand next to the television, rotating and blowing, did nothing to help. Annette saw that Beth had no air unit. No beds or air conditioning. Annette bit her lip before she asked Beth about it.

Beth turned away from the counter to look to her mom again. "I'm going to go change real quick."

"Take your time," Annette said with the smallest smile.

Beth went down the hall to the bedroom and closed the door. Annette wasn't sure what to do and decided she would sit down on the couch as she waited. Not that she had to wait long. Beth emerged just a minute later, now wearing a pair of blue jean shorts and a plain purple tee-shirt. She saw Annette sitting on the couch and she said nothing as she went to collect their mugs. She came and set both down on the coffee table and then, after visibly hesitating, she sat down as well.

(Annette was taking note of everything Beth didn't have for herself and she added more living room seating to her mental list.)

"How did you find me?"

Annette hadn't expected Beth to start between them, but she was grateful that she had.

"Do you remember Rick Grimes?" She asked and then paused. Beth nodded. "Do you remember that he became a PI after retiring from the police force?" Again, Beth nodded.

"How long after I left did he come after me?"

"I waited a couple of months before contacting him. He went to Birmingham and tracked you down to take some pictures and bring them back to me. I just wanted to see you and make sure you were alright."

Beth stared at her. "I wasn't alright, mom. But you must have known that."

Annette swallowed, her stomach growing tight. "At first, you did seem to be alright. I didn't like where you and him were living. That neighborhood didn't seem safe at all. But Rick would bring pictures back of you and you were smiling and you… you seemed alright, Beth."

Beth picked up her mug and Annette followed her lead and did the same, but neither took a sip.

"Why didn't you come and see me for yourself?"

This was the question Annette didn't know how to answer. Beth had every right in the world to ask it, but that didn't mean that Annette had an answer.

"I should have, I know that. But your father was so angry and I… I supported him and didn't go against him. And I was angry myself that you would throw everything away for him-" Annette still couldn't say that boy's name. "-and I was hurt that you would choose him over us."

"I was in love," Beth said softly.

"Were you?"

"It didn't matter if I was or just thought I was because you and dad kicked me out and I had nowhere else to go. You and dad made sure of that."

Annette's hands held the cup tightly. "I'm so sorry, Beth." Tears began to build in her eyes.

"I don't know if that's going to fix anything, mom. I have to be honest."

"Please be honest with me, Beth. Please say to me whatever you have to say."

"You and dad weren't wrong about Patrick. He wasn't a good guy. He made me believe he was, but I quickly learned." Annette held her breath as Beth looked down into her tea. "He was on meth. All of his friends were on meth. And I started working at Piggly Wiggly more, trying to make as much money as I could so I could get out of there and get away. But then," she exhaled. "I got pregnant and Patrick promised me that he would change. He actually was clean for a few months and I believed…"

More tears began to burn Annette's eyes, but she blinked quickly, trying to keep them from falling. She didn't know if she had the right to cry, to be honest; especially when Beth was sharing what happened.

"Rick tracked you down here. You had been off the grid for four years and then, you just popped up again and he found you here. He took pictures… I have a grandson."

"You do," Beth confirmed. A faint smile passed across her face at the mention of her son, but then, just a moment later, it disappeared again. "After George was born, I couldn't leave him. I had to quit the Piggly Wiggly. Patrick and his friends would steal anything so I had to hide all of George's and my things. Even his diapers, mom."

Annette looked down to the mug, her hands squeezing around it so tightly, her knuckles were white. She was scared to hear this, but she had to know everything.

"We lived in a house with meth addicts because we had no money to go anywhere. I couldn't even bring my baby back to my parents' house because they had told me that I could never come back."

"Beth, I'm-"

"I had nowhere to go so I had to stay. I had to take my son to food pantries and clothing drives that churches had; where I could get things for the both of us for free. I had to stand in line to get a grocery bag of food that someone had donated. I had to take us to public showers when our water got shut off. I had to lock our food up because Patrick and the others would even try to sell that. But I did the best I could and always kept him as safe as I could."

"Beth-"

Beth wasn't going to let her speak. "I couldn't even leave when Patrick started slapping and hitting me. My parents told me I could never come back and they meant it. I had nowhere to go."

Annette's hands were beginning to shake so much, the tea threated to splash over the sides. She managed to get the cup onto the coffee table and she couldn't stop the tears now. She needed to hear all of this.

"But one night, he slapped George. He had never gone after George before and all I saw was red. I didn't even think about it when I slammed the dresser drawer over his head, knocking him out. It finally got me the Hell out of there even if I had no idea of where I was going or what I was going to do."

Annette wiped at her wet cheeks. The tears had begun to fall and there was no stopping them now.

She knew Beth wouldn't want this. This was the last thing Beth would want from her right now, but after what she had just learned, it was the only thing Annette could do.

She leaned into Beth and put her arms around her daughter for the first time in over five years. "I'm so sorry, Beth," she whispered as she hugged her. "I will never be able to say that enough. I'm so sorry."

And then she felt a shudder quake through Beth's body and Annette tightened her arms around Beth's body as she began crying as well. And then, something so wonderful happened, it only made Annette cry more. Beth slowly moved her arms around her mom's body in a returning hug.

Annette didn't know how long she hugged Beth. She didn't care. No matter how long, it wouldn't be long enough. She couldn't stop crying and whispering to her how sorry she was.

She had been raised to believe in a woman's place in her family and marriage and to Annette, her husband was King and she must always stand at his side. That was no excuse. She and Hershel had both been wrong – beyond wrong – and Annette should have come to Beth so much sooner. Hershel was her husband, but Beth was her daughter and that first picture Rick had taken of her in Birmingham those years ago, Annette should have gone to her and brought her back home.

Outside, through the screen door, they could hear a truck pull up and its brakes squeal to a stop. Beth slowly pulled back first and both women wiped at their wet, red cheeks. Without looking to Annette, Beth took the mugs of now-cold tea and standing up, she carried them to the sink. Annette heard little feet – followed by heavier steps – on the porch steps and then the door was yanked open.

"Mama!" George burst inside and saw Beth immediately.

Annette had also asked Rick about the man in some of the pictures of her daughter and grandson. Daryl Dixon owned this trailer park and there wasn't a ton of information on him. Rick said that he recognized when someone did their best to live off the grid as much as he possibly could. He had never had any arrests though or had spent a single hour in jail. He seemed like a hardworking man and his trailer park really was the most beautiful trailer park Annette had ever seen.

She had to wonder what his relationship with Beth and George were, but Annette knew it wasn't her business unless Beth made it so; if she ever did.

Annette and Daryl know looked at one another, Daryl obviously wondering who this woman was.

"Georgie!" Beth exclaimed, the smile bright across her face as she bent down and the boy ran straight into her arms, smack against her chest; almost knocking her over.

Annette smiled, watching them, feeling teary again. Her daughter had a son. Her first grandchild. She had seen pictures of him, but seeing him in the flesh, he truly was such an adorable little boy and just from watching him for a few seconds, Annette knew that Beth had done an amazing job on him so far.

"How was Wal-Mart?" Beth asked him.

"Fun!" The boy beamed.

A part of Annette wished Beth would introduce her to George, but a much larger part of her certainly didn't expect her to. She moved back to the front door, Daryl stepping out of her, and she picked up her purse, slinging the strap onto her shoulder.

"Beth, can I call you?" Annette asked, turning back to her daughter, she now holding George in her arms, sitting him on her hip. The boy looked too much like his dad, but he had Beth's blue eyes.

The boy was looking at her, wondering who she was. She wondered if Beth would tell him.

"I don't have a phone," Beth shook her head. "But I don't work this coming Friday. If you'd like to come back."

"Yes," Annette nodded before Beth could even really complete the sentence.

Beth gave her the smallest smile and Annette smiled, too. She wanted to hug her goodbye and hug George, too, but not today. It was still far too soon for that. But maybe on Friday.

…

Daryl wanted to ask Beth who the woman had been, but judging by the slight heaviness in the air that had nothing to do with the heat and Beth's red eyes, he could guess. Still, he wouldn't ask though unless Beth told him, first, who the woman had been.

"I got you somethin'," Daryl said instead.

"Daryl," Beth immediately protested, bending down to put George on his feet.

"Beth," Daryl replied to that. "George, can you get me some water?"

"Yeah!" The boy was more than happy and he went to the refrigerator, tugging the door open, and grabbing a bottled water from the bottom shelf.

Their water wasn't the worst, but it wasn't the best. Bottled water from Aldi and Wal-Mart for drinking was almost always on everyone's grocery lists.

"Daryl, you didn't have to get me anything," Beth said as Daryl knelt down, first un-plugging the fan, and setting it aside.

"I didn't have to. I wanted to." Daryl pulled the portable AC cube from the box and unwound the cord, plugging it into the USB port and set it up next to the television.

George hurried with the water and Daryl took out the side panel, pouring the water into the filter to the top. He then hit the button, seeing that it turned green. He wondered how loud it was and was pleasantly surprised that it was practically silent.

"Cold!" George exclaimed, holding his hands out right in front of it.

"What is that?" Beth stepped closer.

"Portable AC," Daryl stood up. "Once it's fully charged, you can unplug it and put it anywhere you want. It can last you eight hours and it won't cool the entire trailer, obviously, but it'll keep your livin' room cold and you and George'll be able to sleep."

George was now holding his face right in front of the cube, laughing as the cold air hit him, and Beth held a hand out, smiling as she felt the cold air against her skin.

"It's almost too cold," Beth looked up to Daryl with a smile. Daryl frowned, making her laugh. "You really didn't have to do this, Daryl. George and I would have survived."

"Didn' wan' you two to jus' survive. You've already done enough of that. You should be comfortable and happy and get a good night's sleep."

He didn't think what he said was anything special, but Beth was looking at him as if she had never heard anything like that in her life. She didn't say that though. Instead, Beth stood on her toes, slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

…

For whatever reason, this chapter took me forever and was really beginning to frustrate it. Hopefully, that isn't too obvious in my writing. THANK YOU so much for reading and commenting!