Chapter 9

She woke to the sound of the shower running. She got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. She figured she could get a jump start on the mess so they could make the most of their final day together. Sophia would be coming home this evening, and Daryl would return to his home on the other side of town. She smiled when she saw the kitchen spotless. He had beat her to the punch. He'd even swept and mopped the floor. She saw the coffee pot had fresh coffee and he'd found a small post it note he'd drawn a heart on and stuck to her coffee cup. She crept to the restroom and opened the door. Without a second thought she opened the shower curtain and stepped inside, pulling the curtain shut behind her.

As the afternoon grew late Carol felt sadness creep around her. She had to drive him back to his house They'd had a magical and unexpected weekend. They were both disheartened to see it coming to an end. She pulled up in front of the small rental home Daryl shared with his brother. The truck was no where in sight.

"So, you'll come by for dinner sometime this week? Carol said, her voice quiet.

"How about tonight?" He smiled, his voice teasing.

"Daryl. No, not tonight." She laughed. "How about Tuesday? I'll make spaghetti."

"Tuesday." He said leaning over to kiss her one more time. He opened the car door and slid out. His keys jingled in his hands as he walked to the door. "Tuesday." He whispered to himself as she pulled away from the curb.

Carol arrived to Ed's home and this time stayed on the porch. He tried to coax her in but she flatly refused. Sophia ran out, her panda bag in her hand. She jumped into her mother's arms and buried her face against her mothers neck.

"I missed you!" She said glad to be back in her mother's arms. She pulled her head back, a strange look on her face. "You smell like Daryl." She said, leaning forward to sniff her mother's collar.

Carols face flushed instantly, she put her daughter down on the porch. Ed stepped toward her.

"Whose Daryl?" Ed said, his voice angry and threatening.

"Nobody, Daryl is nobody." She answered. "He was a man at an auto repair shop, helped fix my brakes."

"Funny, Sophia was calling her boy barbie Daryl. I thought that was a weird name for a doll. She also said Daryl fixed a problem with your sink. You been sleeping with this Daryl, bringing him around my daughter." He had ahold of her wrist now.

"No." Carol said immediately, trying to pull her wrist away. He squeezed harder, tears filled her eyes.

"You got a little boyfriend now do ya. Well why don't I just come by and meet this Daryl. Bet we'd get along real nice." Ed whispered, hatred dripping as he spoke.

"Back off Ed. I told you. He was just a man that repaired the car. Sophia took to him, that's all. He was a nice guy." She finally pulled her wrist free and she walked quickly toward her car.

"Well you tell Mr. nice guy that I'll be watching for him. He comes around you or my daughter and we will see how nice he really is." His teeth were gritted as he spoke, then he spit at her feet.

Carol climbed in the car and locked the doors. She started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

"Bye Dad." Sophia waved, starting to roll down her window. Ed didn't respond, instead turned and stomped back into the house.

Carol drove back to her house quickly. She worked to still the shaking in her hands, and breathe deeply to slow her heart rate. She worried that Ed would now be watching the house.

Sophia chattered in the back seat. She said that her Daddy had taken to the big park on the other side of town. That he had pushed her on the swing. She said they watched movies and he let her draw with sidewalk chalk. Carol did her best to listen, but inside she feared what would come of Ed now keeping tabs on her. She felt tears fill her eyes as she realized her new relationship with Daryl would never work. She couldn't involve another man in her nightmare. Ed was her problem, she didn't want Daryl to suffer because he was now associated with her.

"Mommy, I told Daddy about Daryl fixing the monster under the sink. He said that you should have asked him to fix it and he would. But I'm glad Daryl fixed it. I like Daryl." Sophia said when they pulled up to the house. "But then Daddy was mad for a long time. I didn't tell him nothing else. I'm sorry that I told him."

"Oh honey, it's okay. Mommy wouldn't want you to feel like you have to keep secrets. Your Daddy getting mad is his problem, you didn't do anything wrong." Carol sighed, opening the door to let her daughter out of the car. She watched Sophia skip into the house, her Panda Bag forgotten in the seat. Carol picked up the bag and followed Sophia, her heart heavy.

The next morning Carol saw Sophia to the bus and made her way to work. She met Lori in the break room, each finishing up their coffee.

"How was your weekend?" Lori asked, sipping at the last of her coffee.

"Well, it started off wonderful. But then Sunday I had to pick up Sophia from Ed. Now, now I'm stuck and I don't know what to do." Carol sighed, sitting down on a bench and putting her head in her hands.

"Tell me!" Lori said, sitting down beside her. "Carol, you gotta tell me. What? Did you meet someone?"

Carol glanced sideways at her friend, her face giving away the answer.

"Who! You tell me right now Carol Peletier." Lori laughed, seeing Carol's reaction to her question.

"You remember that guy that we ran into at the coffee shop. You got him a refill." Carol said, sinking down further on the bench.

"The one you tried to run over when he was on his motorcycle." Lori said, her eyes wide.

"Aahh, yes. Daryl is his name. We somehow ended up spending the weekend together….." Carol was interrupted.

"What? The whole weekend? You're kidding. You told me you were never gonna be interested in another man again. You said that you would rather go to your grave single than ever have to sleep in the same bed as another man. That was like four days ago!" Lori said, her voice getting louder and teasing.

"Ssshh, not so loud. I meant what I said. I don't know what happened, it just happened." Carol hid her face. "And it felt wonderful, and right. It felt like he had always been there, and that we belonged together. It was so hard to watch him leave."

Lori laughed loudly. "You two did the thing! You and Daryl. Oh God, how could you do that. You hardly know him. You don't know who he's been with or….."

"Now stop." Carol interrupted. "He is a good man, a very good man. He may act tough, but when you get to know him, he's cute. Funny. Sweet." She sang, her face lit up with happiness.

"But then Ed, what happened with Ed?" Lori asked, suddenly serious.

"Well, Sophia had mentioned that Daryl fixed the garbage disposal. Then when she was hugging me she asked me why I smelled like Daryl. Ed got so angry. He said he'll be watching the house. Daryl is supposed to come over for dinner tomorrow. What am I supposed to do. You know Ed, look, he grabbed my wrist yesterday. Look at this bruise. I can't do this. I can't bring Daryl into this mess." She finished. Now her eyes were dull, fear and sadness shone plainly on her features.

"Ed put his hands on you?" Lori asked, looking at the bruise on Carols wrist. "You need to call the police, turn him in. He can't keep doing this to you. You deserve a life Carol, you deserve happiness."

Tears trekked down Carol's cheek now, she quickly wiped them away.

"I have to end this with Daryl. It's just so hard. He was wonderful. I wish it wasn't this way, I wish I never met Ed." She cried harder now. "But then I wouldn't have Sophia, and she's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Alright now, settle down. You're not ending anything with Daryl. I don't know exactly what you see in him, he seems pretty crude to me. But, you need to see where it goes. Give me the shift to think of something, you and Daryl are gonna have your dinner tomorrow. I'll find a way to take care of Ed." Lori patted her friends shoulder and stood. "Now get up, we have patients waiting on us.

"Wait, wait." Carol said, grabbing her friends arm. "What about you and Rick?"

"That's a story for another break. We'll talk later." Lori smiled, then turned down the hall away from the breakroom.

Daryl showed up early to the shop Monday morning. He got to work cleaning the left over mess from the Saturday crew. Jim brought in coffee and donuts, offering Daryl the first pick.

"So how'd it go with your friend Saturday?" Jim asked, taking a large bite out of his glazed donut.

"Went great." Daryl said, tossing his napkin in the trash and wiping his hands on his pants.

"What kind of help did this friend need?" Jim asked, following Daryl to the car that was already waiting on the car pedestal.

"What?" Daryl said, hesitant to respond. He hoped Jim would take the hint.

"Oh, I see. Your friend was a female I take it." Jim laughed, seeing Daryl's ears start to turn red. "You end up helping her all weekend long?" His friend teased.

Daryl shook his head and grabbed the tools he needed to work on the car above him.

"No, I get it. Take a day off work to help a lady friend. Then you won't even kiss and tell. I see how it goes. Ya know, you make it real hard to live vicariously through you Daryl Dixon. I'd give anything to be young and strong like you again, to chase around girls. But that's okay, tell me nothing." Jim walked away as the rest of the crew trickled in. His laughter echoed behind him. Daryl stuck an unlit cigarette in his mouth and reached up to the needed part in front of him.