May 15, 10 NE

Dear Mayor Barron,

As requested, I've left two spots free on the return mailboat for your men. Melissa will be staying in Jamestown with Seaman Reedus until the June mailboat, so that will leave one spot open on the return boat May 17. She can pay for her food rations by fishing while she's there, and I assume she'll just stay in his dorm room with him, so housing shouldn't be an issue. I decided not to visit this trip, so that will vacate a second spot.

My responsibilities at Oceanside are keeping me busy, and, besides, I get the impression from your last letter that you don't feel a need to discuss business in person with me. So I'm enclosing a separate page outlining the business matters I had planned to discuss with you. Please read them over and advise me of your opinion and what Oceanside can expect from Jamestown in these matters.

I hope this letter finds you and your wife and children in good health.

Sincerely,

Cyndie

[*]

May 15, 10 NE

Dear Mom,

Yeah, I get that you can't come. Maybe in June sometime? Zeke misses you. Okay, I miss you. And I really appreciated it when you were around. I guess this baby thing is just harder than I thought it was going to be.

So I opened a Tiki Bar on the beach because the weather's nice, and I'm making bank. People stop by between fishing and swimming or just lazing on the beach or whatever. I built a straw bar with a shade and all that. I have to haul the booze and bar supplies back and forth from the pub, though because I can't store them on the beach. The tiki bar's open on Friday – Sunday from noon to five whenever it's not raining. We sell snacks, but no meals, and there's only four stools, but people don't care, because they go drink on the beach or whatever. The pub is open for dinner and drinks Wednesday – Saturday from six to ten. So it's about a 40 hour week for me with all the hauling and cleaning up and all that, but I hired a cook for the dinners. It's a lot of work, but I really like running my own business.

Rachel does a few hours of fishing on Monday and Tuesday, when I'm off, so we're doing well in terms of being able to get everything we need, except sleep. We could really use more sleep. I can't wait until Zeke's sleeping through the night.

He's doing good. I think he's discovered his hands. He keeps opening and shutting them and staring at them. And if you hang something over him, like a mobile, he'll swat at it now. He's a chubby little guy. 14.5 pounds last time we weighed him.

Can't wait until he sleeps through the night, though. Guess I said that already. Anyway, say hi to Sweetheart for me and give her this shell bracelet Rachel made her. (I collected the shells, but Rachel's better at making those kinds of things.) I think it's safe. I don't think she can chew the shells off the leather and choke on them.

Love,

Henry

[*]

Application for Change of Work Assignment

Date: May 18, 10 NE

Name: Daryl Dixon

Current Occupation: Hunter

Current Hours Worked at Occupation: 20-35 a week

Requested Occupation 1: Hunter, but without this Paul asshole as my partner

Requested Hours at Occupation 1: 20-35 a week

Requested Occupation 2: _

Requested Hours at Occupation 2: _

Reason for Requested Change:

Man annoys the fuck out of me and his kid stole my little girl's egg. Just let me hunt alone and send him back to hunt with the group he was hunting with before.

-For Council Use Below This Line-

Council Decision:

_ Approved _ Denied _X_ Approved with Modifications

Council Notes:

As requested, Paul has been reassigned back to his original group of three hunters. However, Jamestown's rule of two is necessary to ensure the safety of all citizens. If someone becomes injured or incapacitated outside the gates, it is essential to have another person to return for help. Therefore, you will be assigned a shadow as part of our youth job trial program. The youth job trial program allows 13-year-olds to shadow workers in multiple jobs for one to two weeks each in an observational capacity before choosing which apprenticeship(s) to apply for. Please pick up your youth shadow at the front gate tomorrow morning.

[May 19, 10 NE]

"How's the shadow working out?" Carol asks as she places a bowl of stew down in front of Daryl at the table. Then she picks up the empty cup Sweetheart has turned upside down on her tray to drum on.

"No!" Sweetheart says. "Weetie's cup!"

"It's time to get you down. You can drum on your toys." Carol wipes Sweetie's hands, undoes the tray of her high chair, and lets her down. She toddles off toward Dog, who is lounging on the bearskin rug. Carol keeps one eye on her as she sits down across from Daryl.

"Ain't as annoyin' as Paul."

"Well, that's something, I suppose."

"'S real quiet. Think he's 'fraid of me."

"I can't imagine," Carol teases.

"Should just let me hunt alone. Ain't like the boy's gonna rescue me if I get mauled by a bear."

Carol smiles slightly. "But if you were injured he could run back and get help. Look, Pookie, I know you hate the rule, but it's not a bad one, is it? Maybe if we'd followed some of Jamestown's rules from the start, more of our old friends would…" She stops suddenly. She'd rather not think about the friends she's lost.

Daryl eyes her with concern as he silently eats his stew. She gives him a light smile to show him she's all right, that the memories aren't going to pull her down. "Shannon invited me for a girl's night Friday. Some chick flick's playing at the theater. Do you have any plans?"

"Hell kind of plans would I have?"

"I just want to make sure Sweetheart's covered."

"Mhm. Got 'er covered." He leans back in his chair and wipes his hands on his pants. "This movie, it got any hot guys in it?"

She laughs. "Hot guys? What do you care?"

"Just wonderin' if yer gonna come home horny." His lecherous, lopsided grin sends a surge of affection coursing through her.

"How do you know I'm not horny right now?"

Daryl glances at Sweetheart, who's tugging rope with Dog, and then looks back. "Are ya?"

Carol shrugs. "I guess we'll find out when Sweetheart's in bed."