Love Quote #31 - "You have to walk carefully at the beginning of love. The running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later, when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip."

"When you're sure they won't laugh…"

Andrea waited for Dale outside of Hershel's home. She had wanted to meet with him this afternoon and remembered that Dale was pleasantly surprised. These days, the tension between Dale and Andrea tended to drive them apart. At the same time, his age lent itself to wisdom. Dale could be prying at times, but she realized she needed to get his opinion on something, or at least, learn from his experiences. He agreed to meet with her once he was done speaking with Hershel. Andrea sat on the porch steps—a place she usually stayed around when she was trying to gather her thoughts. Just then, the door opened and Dale exited from Hershel's home.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Andrea. I was talking to Hershel about some concerns he had, but I'm all yours now."

Andrea stood up and noticed Dale appeared to be in a good mood. He was probably glad she had asked to speak with him, especially since their recent interactions were strained. She was going to ask about what he and Hershel had discussed, but decided not to go in that direction.

"What did you want to ask me about?" Dale slowly walked down the steps.

Andrea stood up as she pulled out her ponytail. She hoped she wasn't being too obvious as she tied her hair back from her face. "I wanted to ask you about love—your experiences, I mean."

Dale paused on the last step and studied Andrea, as though trying to read her mind. Andrea could feel him probing without him uttering a syllable. Dale was perceptive and she had a feeling he knew what this was really about. Then Dale shook his head as he met her on the ground.

"You want to know about Irma?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I was just wondering since you've only brought her up sparingly."

Dale gestured towards the open expanse of Hershel's property and he and Andrea started to walk together. "Let's walk and talk. Irma..." He sighed as he remembered his deceased wife. "She was the love of my life as you know. We were together for twenty years or so, when she fell ill to cancer…" His voice trailed off.

Andrea listened. She had heard of Irma before, how Dale had planned to take her for a road trip across the country in their newly purchased RV, and how she died of cancer…

"I wasn't accepting of her prognosis and diagnosis, but she was. I wanted more time with her, but we never have control over those things."

They headed towards the fence surrounding the Greene farm. It was the same fence where Shane had told Andrea about "turning off the switch" when it came to making split-second life-or-death decisions. She tried not to think about that now as she focused on Dale.

"Do you remember what it was like when you fell in love with her?" Andrea wanted to know without explaining why she was asking.

Dale stopped walking and smiled widely. "I do—I'll never forget it. I met her at a mutual friend's birthday party. We talked for most of the night and exchanged phone numbers. I called her when I got home—" he sighed as he relived the memory. "I couldn't wait to speak with her again."

Andrea nodded, but inwardly, she was inpatient. She wasn't sure how to ask for what she wanted to know. Maybe she was overthinking it and should just ask. "How did you get past the hurdles in the beginning?"

They had resumed walking when Dale stopped again. He looked concerned. "Hurdles?"

"Yeah, like you know how things are exciting in the beginning, but sometimes it's slow because you're still getting to know each other? How did you go from that phase to being comfortable with Irma? Where you felt completely open to being yourself; vulnerable."

Dale laughed softly. "Andrea, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you've never fallen in love before and I know that's not true."

Andrea smiled now as they started walking again, still near the fence on the Greene farm. "No, I've definitely fallen in love before, but this is different."

Dale stopped again and this time, his expression was serious. Andrea had seen him like this before: Dale's eyebrows were furrowed in thought as he tried to discern what she was really asking him. She didn't want him to ask—

"Is this about Shane?" There was an uneasy note in his voice now. "Are you in love with him? You both have been hanging out a lot lately."

She knew to change the topic. "We hang out a lot, but no, I'm not in love with Shane."

Dale was quiet and Andrea knew he knew the truth. That didn't mean she would openly admit it—especially not to Dale.

"I just want to know about you and Irma, that's all." She hoped she sounded convincing. She didn't think so, but then he responded.

"You have to walk carefully at the beginning of love. The running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later, when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip."

They continued walking side by side and were almost done completing a loop around the property and would soon head back to Hershel's home.

"You mean be cautious in the beginning?"

Dale nodded in agreement. "Well, yes. You're getting to know each other—and it takes time to let your guard down, just as it does for the other person. Just be yourself, Andrea, and let that man—whoever he is—and God, I hope it's not Shane—"

Andrea groaned in frustration. "It's not Shane. Relax, Dale, I know what I'm doing."

"It's not you, it's him…" Dale shook his head, this time showing his own annoyance. "Just know that whoever he is, that he should love you for you. Sometimes it's hard to open up, but once you do, if it's the right man, then they will have your back and you will have his. So if you do run and trip, they will be there to catch you if you fall. They won't laugh when you mess up."

She didn't respond after this and he had nothing more to add. Andrea and Dale walked back to Hershel's house in silence, each one buried in their own thoughts. She felt she had gotten what she wanted—Dale's take on falling in love, being real with the person you care about most. She only hoped that in sharing his experience, that Dale felt at peace with it although he already suspected that she was falling for Shane. Deciding it was better to leave on good terms, Andrea thanked him when Dale reached the top step of the porch.

"Thank you, Dale. I appreciate you sharing with me about Irma."

Dale stared at her for some time before nodding slowly. He still wore a perturbed expression. "You're welcome. Just guard your heart. That's all I can say Andrea."

With nothing else to add, Dale entered Hershel's home. He didn't turn around to see Andrea again as he was trying to sort out in his mind if Andrea really was in love with Shane and what he could do to make her see that he wasn't the right man for her. Rather than do that, Dale finally decided to leave it alone. He was given a chance to bond with Andrea again, which was enjoyable, especially given the uncomfortable tension between them that existed ever since he talked her out of leaving the CDC so that she wouldn't kill herself.

Andrea watched Dale go inside. She was silently thankful for the conversation they had, but she didn't want Dale to keep asking about her and Shane. What he had shared about him and Irma, and more so, the nature of love and developing relationships gave her enough food for thought. She considered what it may mean for her and Shane, especially since he was so distant due to his issues with Lori. Although she didn't know the full story of what happened between Shane and Lori, Andrea knew it amounted to a terrible falling out. She sensed he kept her at a distance, although they had been bonding more, which Dale observed. When she was sure Dale was inside Hershel's home, Andrea resumed her sitting position on the porch steps so that she could contemplate their conversation for the rest of the day—and how it may apply to her and Shane in the future.