Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Rick woke up with Lori in his arms, her body molded perfectly and comfortably against his in bed. Her face buried in his chest, her arms wrapped around him, soft moans escaping through her lips muffled by his t-shirt. She had cried herself to sleep in his arms, and his shirt felt crusty from the salt of her tears. He would need to change it once she woke up. He looked her over from the angle he could see her face at and smiled a little. He'd forgotten how peaceful she looked when she slept. She was so beautiful, so pale and so tiny in his arms. He would give the whole world to see her smile again. These tears weren't her, but they had come, and they weren't leaving anytime soon.
He kissed her swollen eyelid, trying to rouse her carefully, and her lips parted in a soft and sleepy moan at the contact. He brushed hair behind her ear and studied her small face before she swallowed and peeled her eyes open to find him eyeing her. She brought a hand up to her eye and carefully rubbed it, finding her eye tender from the tears, and she attempted a smile for him.
"Good mornin'." He stroked her hair. "How are you feelin'?"
"Better." She buried her face into his chest. "Thank you."
"No worries." He just had to sneak her out of his house before his parents came to check on him, because if they saw a girl in his bed, they'd ground him for life. "Let's go get some breakfast."
"Why can't we just stay here? I like it here."
"'Cause my parents will be up any minute now to check up on me, and I can't let them find us like this."
"Oh, right, parents." She exhaled and sat up, combing fingers through her hair. "Yeah, we should get out of here."
"Here. Let me get you a hoodie. Your shirt's all wrinkled." He slipped out of bed and went to his dresser to pull out a clean shirt for himself and a hoodie for her. He glanced at the time and saw it was barely five in the morning. He had a couple hours honestly before his parents came to see him to wake him up for school, but he didn't want to risk it.
Lori rubbed her arms and walked over to him, seeing the school hoodie he had pulled out and the t-shirt, so she removed her shirt and balled her shirt up. She hugged her arms and waited for a moment for the hoodie, but when Rick turned around, he seemed surprised to see her in only her bra and blushed. She had nearly forgotten how cute his blush was, and she stupidly reached up and kissed his blush, wanting to feel something warm and pink.
"Lori—"
"Thank you, Rick. I don't know where I could have gone without you." She smiled lovingly at him, and she accepted the hoodie, slipping into it and shivering once at how warm it was. It smelled fresh, like Tide, and she headed over to the window to climb out of it as she had come inside, but he said they could use the front door. "You sure that's a good idea?"
"Yeah, my parents sleep in on their days off. Since I got my alarm and car, they let me wake myself up and get to school." He set a hand on her waist and escorted her towards his bedroom door. "C'mon."
They left his bedroom and headed out for the morning, going to the all-hours diner at the corner, and they ordered breakfast. Lori was watching the sunrise, and Rick was watching her. She looked so sad and broken. He wanted nothing more than to repair her broken heart, but there was nothing he could do. This was between her and her mother and father. He couldn't pretend to know what that relationship was like, only what he'd seen from it, but he'd offer her support when the time came. It was all he could do for her.
Lori shrugged her shoulders and looked over at Rick, who was partly smiling at her, and she laughed. "What?"
"Nothin'." He shook his head. "I'm glad you're able to laugh again."
"Yeah, it feels good." She inhaled deeply. "I'm able to laugh because of you, you know. You really came through for me."
"I'm always gonna be here for you, Lori." He searched her eyes. "No matter what our history is, I still care about you."
"I still care about you, too, and I'm sorry for how things ended between us." She placed her hands on the table and wet her lips. "Is it possible we could start over?"
He slumped a bit in the booth. "I don't know if that's a good idea."
"Please, think about it. You're the only person I feel safe with, and I don't want to regret leaving this without fighting for it." She scanned his eyes and smiled. "Just think about it?"
He nodded and sat up when their food arrived, thanking the waitress and looking over his eggs and pancakes with a side of hash browns and bacon. It looked delicious and would taste the same. He hoped Lori was able to eat her food, which was a side order of pancakes. He had tried to talk her into ordering actual food, but she wanted what she wanted, and there was no changing her mind right now. That worried him right now, that nothing he said seemed to get through to her, but he was still going to try. He would use his actions if he had to, and he plenty of those. He loved her still, despite the whole incident with Shane, and there was nothing he could do to stop loving her, so he would be do everything he could to cheer her up before he took her home.
Axel was at the local hardware store for boxes and bubble wrap, knowing he would need to pack his belongings in advance to help a reluctant Carol with hers, so here he was. He picked out boxes in all different sizes, multiple colors of permanent markers for labeling the boxes and packing tape. Then he moved on for those foam photo slips and bubble wrap. He wasn't sure how many he could need, because he and Karen were dividing up the photos of the girls throughout the years. He should have his own copies in a photo album, but just to be sure, he made certain he selected a high number of them.
He checked out and spotted Amaro and Merle in the parking lot. He wondered what they were doing together and decided to keep his nose out of it. He had enough troubles with his daughters, who thought he and Karen were actively trying to destroy their lives when all they were trying to do was put things in order. The girls would understand that more when they were older. God, he hoped that older came sooner rather than later. His heart was broken for both of them, and he couldn't take much more of their absence. He wanted to spend a much time as possible with them before the move, and they were making that impossible, but he'd let them have their space. It was all he could do at this point.
Karen watched her students take their test in silence and wondered what was going on with her girls today. She ached to see them, to hold them and let them know it would all be all right. She wanted them to know she loved them always and would be there for them until her last breath. That she was born to be their mother and to love them this much, to try and protect them this much, but she had to put herself first right now. She would hope the damage wasn't too extensive, and she hoped they were able to forgive her before the move at the end of the month.
She set a hand on her stomach and prayed they would learn to love their sibling. She knew right now neither one of them were fond of the baby, but she hoped that after the years had passed and they were on their own, they would come by and see him or her and be a great older sibling to them, because they were still a family. She wanted to ensure they knew they were always going to be a family. No matter how much time had passed, how much distance there was between them and how much hate passed through their relationship. They would survive this. She knew they could. They just needed a bit of time and space to sort through complex emotions swirling through them.
She looked up when the door opened, hoping somehow it'd be one of her girls, but it was just Tyreese coming to get his notes on his class today from her briefcase. She smiled weakly at him, and he returned with a happy and hopeful grin, and she prayed that was contagious, because she felt miserable.
Carol woke up to her alarm, letting her know it was time to shower and get ready for the day, and she buried her face into her pillow—a Daryl-scented pillow—and moaned. She didn't want to go to school today, but she had to. She was already skipping her first period, so she had to get into class now, drop Clay off at the babysitter's and let the day begin. She slipped out of bed and moved to take a shower in Daryl's bathroom, pulling her shorts locks back into two pigtails as she didn't have shampoo and conditioner, and there was no way she was using Daryl's two-in-one crap on her curls. It'd ruin any workability she had with them.
She drifted down the hall and heard the shower on and wanted to strangle Merle, but he lived here, too, and she couldn't blame him for wanting to be clean to start the day. She slipped into the bathroom to get a washcloth to dry her face on after she washed it, and she grabbed the bottle of facial wash she'd bought for here and headed to the kitchen. She wanted to feel refreshed and alive, so she hoped this morning burst recipe worked, because she needed it to.
Once she was washed up and refreshed by the bursting orbs in the facial wash, she changed into a new outfit and zipped boots onto her feet, sitting at the end of Daryl's bed and lifted her eyes as a new idea dawned on her. Daryl had emancipated himself to move in here, and she could do that, too. She had no idea what it consisted of, but if he could do it, she could do it. She had a job and a car, and she didn't need her parents as much. She just...needed a place to live. A place without Merle Dixon so close, that was.
At school Carol looked for Lori the entire day, but there were no signs of her. She had even asked her mom if she'd see if she seen or heard from her, but she hadn't. She tried to start a conversation on how Carol was doing but Carol had to get to class and walked away. She wasn't ready to talk it out just yet.
She spent the day savoring the breaks with her friends and trying to think on the bright side, but all she wanted to do was cry. Caesar noticed and asked what was wrong, and she said she would talk to him after school. He didn't want to wait for the news, but she insisted. She didn't want to cry into her lunch.
He agreed then and felt a nervous energy settling inside of him. He went over what could cause her to feel so on the verge of tears. He naturally thought she was pregnant again with another little blessing, perhaps a girl this time, but he knew Daryl and she were safe in that regard. So, then he began to think of bad news and worried himself sick. He knew it was nothing to do with Clay, otherwise Carol wouldn't be in school, so he tried to calm himself, but by the time fourth period was over, he was queasy. He met her in the parking lot and got a fist to the gut at the news.
"What?" He sat to sit down, so he dropped beside her car and pulled hair back from his face. "You're serious?"
"Unfortunately." She swallowed. "I think I might emancipate myself."
He looked up at her. "Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah. I just don't know how."
"Google's good for that." He stood up and dusted his ass end off. "Or you can come and ask my dad. He knows a lot."
"I don't want him to tell my parents what I plan to do before I have it all worked out."
He nodded. "My dad wouldn't tell, but Flo might. She would do it meaning well, but we both know it won't go over with your parents well."
"They'll take my phone and cut off the internet, probably." She sighed. "I think I'll need a lawyer. Do you know a good one?"
"Yeah, my family has a lawyer. Hamilton Jones. We call him Hammy."
"Isn't that a little mean?"
"Nope. He's a built like a tank, so he doesn't mind it at all." He smiled. "Let me know how I can help, and I'll be right there."
"Umm, actually, I do need a place to live, so I can prove I'm totally independent from my parents."
"Can't you move into Daryl's?"
"Not when Merle's living there."
"Ah, that would do it, wouldn't it?" He chuckled. "All right. Let me see what I can do, all right?"
"Thank you." She embraced him. "I have to go to work, but I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah, good luck." He squeezed her.
They parted ways, Caesar went to seek out Paul for some comfort, and Carol headed to work. She would use her break to look up the requirements for becoming emancipate and hope it didn't take longer than Dad's moving plans.
The workday was slow, but once it was over, she was out the door. She thanked Annette when she went to pick up Clay and wished her well, heading immediately to Daryl's house since she didn't want to face her parents just yet. She wanted to spend some time with Daryl and Merle, honestly, in case she didn't qualify for emancipation.
She unlocked the door and found Merle on the couch. She managed a smile and set Clay down in the playpen, placing her bookbag down on the coffee table, and Merle cleared his throat. Carol glanced at him but didn't speak. She wanted to use the bathroom and make Clay a snack before she began her homework. What did he want, she wondered?
"You okay?" Carol tucked hair behind her ear and met his eyes.
"I got a question."
"I may have an answer." She sat down beside him on the couch. "What's on your mind, Merle?"
"I want to get my GED."
She gasped. "That's amazing. Why do you suddenly want that?"
"I want to go back to school, get a business degree," he admitted. "I want…to build a business out of that local bar that's open for purchase. I want our name to be mean more the attachments my father brought about. I want to be a real fuckin' man."
"Yes!" Carol grinned at him. "That's the best news I've heard all day, Merle." She hugged him. "I'm so proud of you."
"Yeah, yeah, watch the where you're grabbin'." He grumbled his way through the hug, but he didn't want to admit he'd enjoyed it. It was comforting and supportive; a hug he actually needed. He was glad she was the one who had caught him and not his brother. He was still working out the details. He wouldn't let Daryl down now. He would stay sober and stay in school and earn that bar. Even if it were to become sold, he'd still earn that damn bar.
"What made you decide to go back to school?"
"Daryl. He's gettin' ready for college, and he's gonna make somethin' of himself, and how can I do no less? I'm the big brother. I should set the example he follows, not the other way around."
"Hey, don't talk to me about the right way. Daryl and I were strangers when we got pregnant then we fell in love." She laughed. "We're all kinds of backwards here. It's totally normal."
"Guess it is." He smiled at her. "Thanks, Carol."
"Whatever you need." She returned his smile and patted her schoolbooks. "I have homework to do, but if you need me, I will be in the kitchen."
"I'll keep an eye on the kid."
"Thank you. I was just about to ask." She gathered her belongings and kissed her son on the forehead, heading into the kitchen to begin her homework. She had a boatload to do before she was ready for school tomorrow. Like sneaking back home for clothes. And finishing up her homework from all four periods. Helping with cooking dinner. Making out with her boyfriend before sleeping with him—just sleep, no sex. All important tasks.
Her phone buzzed on the table as she began to work out the equation on the paper. She knew it was one of her parents, so she ignored the call and continued to work on her homework. There was only so much she could handle right now, and they weren't on the list. They weren't even on a list. They were just to be dealt when they were sick and tired of her avoiding her and confronted her at school or at her job and made a scene of it. Only then would she deal with them, because any sooner and any quieter, and she'd snap their heads off.
They were parents. They weren't supposed to gang up on their kids at the end of their junior year with pregnant bullshit this and unavoidable bullshit that. Mom had no excuse for not using protection. No excuse. So, in her mind, Karen had intentionally gotten pregnant with Tyreese's lovechild. That was the end of that story, and nothing more would be added. She wanted to get knocked up, so she did. She didn't care about how it would affect her family or her life outside of Tyreese's dick. Or if she did, she wanted to ruin their lives and separate their family. Which was the only outcome of a pregnant, because there was no way Ty would move into their two-bedroom house that housed five people already, and they would live all Full House and shit. This was real life, and reality was a cruel mistress.
And Dad? Dad was just full of bullshit. He didn't want to let her go, because he was scared of being alone. That was all it was. He had never in his life been left alone. He always had someone, and now he had it ingrained in his brain that he needed someone to live when that wasn't true. He would survive just fine on his own. He didn't need her. He just wanted her, because he wanted the only piece of his first wife left in the world with him. It was crap on her end, and on his end? He was just an asshole!
Parents weren't supposed to pile on bad news after bad news. They just weren't. They were supposed to sugarcoat shit and make it easy to swallow, not like these landmines that were dropped on her and Lori. And it fucked with every plan they had in place, not to mention fucked up Lori, who was in the wind still. She hadn't returned anybody's calls, and nobody could locate her.
So, all they really accomplished was driving Carol into the Dixon family and Lori into becoming the vanishing girl. Great job, parents, pat yourselves on the fucking backs.
Rick and Lori were wrapped up in each other in bed, Lori snuggled her face deeper into his chest, and he stroked her hair. They had gotten to her house about an hour ago. Lori didn't want to be left alone when her parents came home since Carol, no doubt, would be at Daryl's, and Rick offered to stay a while. They ended up in bed when Lori said she wanted a nap and asked if he would join her. He wasn't tired, but he didn't mind staying with her.
They could hear someone downstairs now, fighting, and it sounded like just awful. Rick pulled his earbuds out of his pocket and offered her one. She accepted and plugged one ear up, and he did the same, blasting some classic rock, and they snugged closer together to avoid the noise of downstairs. Eyes closed. Ears open. Classic rock on high.
There were feet on the stairs, and then her bedroom door was flung open. Karen stood in the door way and looked in on Rick and Lori, who were under the covers and listening to music, but both of them were dressed. She could have kissed Rick for bringing Lori home, but she didn't want to make it weird and illegal, so she just walked up to them and tugged on the cord to the earbuds.
Rick stopped the song, and Lori rolled her face into his chest to avoid her mother, and Rick looked at Karen, who gestured for him to leave, and he told Lori he'd be downstairs. He kissed her brow and departed the room but not the house. He would be around until Lori asked him to leave. It was the least he could do.
"Lori, honey, I'm so glad to see you." Karen kept her distance, because Lori hadn't moved from her curled up positioned on the bed. "I was hoping we could talk."
"I don't know. Will my thoughts and opinions be considered? Or will I just be dragged along for shits and giggles?" She sat up and pushed hair out of her face, scoffing at her mother. "You make me sick."
"Okay, I accept that." She wet her lips and clasped her hands together. "But you can't disappear on me like that, Lori. I was so worried about you."
"I didn't disappear. I went to Rick's. If you knew me at all, you'd have known to look there."
"I know we've shaken up your life, but I know we can make something wonderful out of this."
"I doubt that. You want to take me from my sister and nephew. What's so wonderful about that?"
"I've talked to Axel about letting you spend the summer up in Washington, and they'll be back down here for the holidays. We'll make it so the space is as minimal as possible. I promise we've thought about yours and Carol's best interest."
"I want to stay with Carol and Clay, not you and Mr. Williams, not Axel. Carol and Clay." Her voice broke and a shiver passed through her. "She's the only family I have anyway."
"Carol isn't an option. She'll be living with Axel, who you don't want to live with either." Karen moved closer and sat on the bed, and Lori jerked away from her. "Lori, please—"
"There's no easy way out of this, Mom. You've literally destroyed my life, and neither of you care as long as you get the job or the husband or the baby. I'm just collateral damage. Why would anybody want me?"
"I want you, because I love you with all my heart. The same goes for Carol, but Axel and I both…agreed that if we should ever part, you would come with me and Carol with him. I know that is a shitty deal, and you deserve so much better than that, but we can't think of anything else." She searched her face. "You are not collateral."
"I'm a fucking pile of worthless shit, Mom, don't deny it. You only wanted me because I was a bargain bin baby!" she shouted. "You want the dream, and you have it now. Why would you want me, too?"
"Lori." Karen's heart dropped at her words. "You—you aren't a bargain bin baby to me. You saved my life. I wouldn't be here without you."
"Gee, look what that's gotten me." She crossed her arms to try and contain all the emotions swirling inside of her. She felt she was going to be ripped to shreds when it burst free, and she couldn't handle it. She wanted to scream. To cry. To destroy something. She wanted to rid herself of this evil energy somehow. Bleed it out of her body, if she had to. "So lucky!"
"Baby, please."
"I am not your baby."
"Yes, you are. I changed your diapers and dealt with your rashes and temper tantrums and—" The more she spoke, the more Lori crumbled until she fell apart and fell off the bed, curling up on the floor, causing Karen to stop. She stood up and moved around to the other side of the bed, gathering her little girl up in her arms, and Lori let her. "You are my daughter. My beautiful, beautiful daughter, and I love you. I wouldn't trade you in for anything in the entire world."
"Just Tyreese and a baby."
"I'm not trading you for them. I'm trying to meld two families to make one large, messy, beautiful one." She tucked hair behind her ears to reveal her beautiful face and kissed her wet cheeks. "I would never trade you for anybody. You're the love of my life, Lori. You are…just God's miracle all for me, and I am so blessed to have you."
"Lair." She struggled to get free from her mom, but she refused to let her go. "Lair. Lair!"
"Never." She hugged her tighter with each lair, and Lori wailed. "I am so sorry, my love. I would trade everything I am for you to not feel this heartache."
"I just wanna die," Lori whined. "I want it to stop."
"Oh, God, no." Karen kissed her brow. "You don't mean that."
"I do. I want it all to stop. I don't want to move. I don't want to be a part of Tyreese's family. I just want the world to stop."
Karen held her baby girl in her arms as she cried, and she knew it was time to call that therapist that Carol was in contact with. Of course, she wouldn't be able to see Lori personally, but she would know who to get into contact with to get Lori help. Medication, therapy, whatever it took so Karen never had to hear her daughter wished herself away.
"I love you. I love you. I love you." Karen held her daughter so tight she was sure Lori couldn't breathe.
"No, no, no." Lori shook her head. "No."
"Yes, I love you." Karen sobbed silently as she repeated those three words over and over. "I love you."
Carol woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the front door, Merle was the first person to roll out of bed to see who the fuck was at the door at this time of the morning, and it was Axel. He asked to see Carol, and Merle gestured back to the bedroom, but he told him to knock first before passing out back on the airbed that had lost most of its air through the night. Dollar store piece of shit.
Carol sat up just as Axel rounded the corner to find her in bed with Daryl, and Carol eyed him for a moment, saying she needed to get dressed before they could talk, and he nodded. He glanced at the unconscious Daryl and stepped back towards the living room while Carol found a clean outfit in Daryl's drawers, luckily having filled one early last night with her things. She dressed quickly and met him out in the hall.
He smiled at her. "Hey, honey."
"Dad." She crossed her arms. "What do you want?"
"You need to come home."
"Why? Because you say so?"
"Because your sister is going through a breakdown and needs your support right now. We have to be out of here by the end of the month, no change in that, so we need to get home. Get Lori to agree to see some help, and then… we should start packing. All of us."
"Yeah, let's cheer Lori up, so she'll be a packing zombie. Totally great plan, Dad."
"Look, we need to be together as a family here, all right? So, stop running off to Daryl."
"He is my family," Carol shot back. "More so than you right now."
"I know I hurt you, and I am sorry, but we need to come together now. Please."
"For Lori, I'll go, but I'll have you know I want to emancipate myself." She stared him down to gauge his reaction, and he looked heartbroken. "Yeah, I know what it means, too."
"Carol, I…" His faded light eyes filled with silvery tears, his lips trembled under his moustache, and his skin looked pale. "I don't know what to say."
"Don't do it."
Carol turned to find Daryl behind her in the hallway. "Excuse me?"
"Don't cause this family any more pain." Daryl sighed. "I love you, Carol, so much, and I love my son, but…please, don't drag us through the court system. You're just angry right now. It'll pass."
"Why are you taking his side of things?" Carol demanded.
"I'm not takin' sides. I'm just sayin'." He pushed off the wall and approached them. "Y'all have been through enough hard times to let this come between you. I'd give anythin' to have father love me as much as Axel loves you. He's our son's grandpa, and I want them to have a strong relationship. Don't you?"
"Why are you so infuriating?" Carol shook her head. "I can't just forgive him. He's trying—and winning—at destroying our family."
"He's tryin' to do a job."
"I am too tired to argue with both of you. I am going back to bed." Carol shook her head and moved for the bedroom. "And if either of you wakes my son, you're dealing with him."
Axel smiled weakly at Daryl. "Thanks for the support, at least."
"I don't support you," Daryl confessed. "You're tryin' take my son states away from me, and I fuckin' hate it. But I get it, too."
Axel frowned. "I never had any plans on taking Clay away from you." He swallowed. "It must feel like Carol trying to emancipate herself from me and Karen."
He nodded "It does."
"I'm so sorry."
"Yeah, just make sure it's worth it." He exhaled. "And take care of them till I can."
"You've got yourself a deal," Axel vowed.
Carol stumbled out of the bedroom, remembering the conversation about Lori and hearing the end of their conversation by mistake. She frowned and hated that Daryl took his side, but at least she knew why now. "Hey." She set a hand on his arm. "I should check on Lori. Are you good here?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "I'll see you at school."
"Okay." She kissed him tenderly. "I'll be back to get my things in the morning."
"Okay."
She left the apartment with Axel, and they immediately headed for home. Axel didn't speak to her the entire ride. He knew better, just like he knew when they arrived home, it was best to let Carol find the situation herself. He stood back and let the girls handle their issues, because they didn't want him involved. He was fine with it. They solved their problems pretty much alone all the time, but he needed to step up for the move. He really did.
"Lori?" Carol knocked on the door to her bedroom. "Lori."
She was sitting on the bed with Karen on the phone, and Carol crawled onto the bed to be with her. Lori instantly hugged her and felt at ease with the only other piece of sanity in her life. She wanted to talk, but there were no words. She was just tired, so she rested her head in her lap and closed her eyes. Carol stroked her hair to further lull her into sleep, and Karen ended the call with Denise.
"So, I set up an appointment with a Dr. Jordan. She'll see you on Friday at eight in the morning." Karen sat down on the bed and lied down beside Lori. "I'm exhausted."
"Welcome to the club." Carol tried to smile, but she couldn't quite make it.
"Am I allowed?" Karen looked at her daughter. "Because I really do want to be allowed."
"Maybe." Carol braided Lori's hair carefully. "I hate this, Mom, I really do."
"I know, baby." She reached over and grasped her hand, lacing her fingers through and bringing her hand over to kiss it. "I know. Me too."
"How is this all happening?"
"Life sucks," Lori opted.
"Yeah, it does." Karen sighed. "If I could have avoided this until you two were out of school, it would have been better. I mean, you'd be adults, and you'd have choices. I've taken those choices away, and so has Axel. We didn't mean to. We're just trying to do the best we can for this situation."
"It's a shitty best," Lori said.
"It is. It's a real stinker, too." Karen laughed lightly and sat up, looking at her daughters. "You three are my entire world, and I love you so much. I want you to remember that when all this is done, okay?"
"I know." Carol nodded her head. "I love you, too."
"I love you, but I'm mad at you right now." Lori lifted her head from Carol's lap. "I think therapy is a good idea, but I don't want you guys to know what goes on in there."
"I won't ask," Karen vowed. "It's between you and the doctor."
"Let's have a good day today," Lori suggested. "I need a good day."
"Let's get some sleep," Karen added to it. "Then we'll go shopping in the morning, and we'll get breakfast and just have a girls' day. It'll be fun."
"A final day where we're all together?" Lori lowered her eyes.
"No, just a girls' day."
"With Dad," Carol added, looking at the doorway where he wasn't.
"Ugh, do we have to?" Lori groaned. She didn't want to spend more time with man trying to tear her family apart with the out of state move. She just wanted some peace and quiet. But oh well.
"He'll carry our bags," Carol laughed.
"Pack mule Axel." Lori sat up. "I like it."
Karen bit her bottom lip to see her girls acting like normal and knew this day would get better. This life and family would get better. These were just surface wounds, and they would heal. They would work out the kinks in the moves and get the house on the market and some lucky starter family would move in here and make the same amazing memories. Hopefully not quite the same but similar. Happy memories. Good memories. Memories to linger on when the cold world seeped in.
"Let's get some sleep, okay?" Karen stood up. "I'll handle the school."
"Sounds good." Lori stretched out. "Carol, sleep with me. I need a bed buddy."
"Oh, no, we're back to fourth grade," Carol jested, "but I'd love to."
"Good." She kicked the blankets back and lied down. "C'mon."
"Good night, Mom." Carol rose up and hugged up, and Karen kissed her hair. "We'll talk more tomorrow."
"Yes, of course." She nodded. "Get some rest."
Carol and Lori lied down and whispered to each other only secret things meant for the other, Karen chuckled to herself and turned the lights off and joined Axel in the living room. She explained what had happened and what would happen tomorrow, and they agreed to continue talking to the girls. It would be difficult, but all they could now was talk and explain.