Love Quote #39 - "I can't promise you the world. I can't promise you wealth, comfort, or even happiness. But I can promise you one thing...no matter what happens, you will always be loved."

One Promise

Shane woke up to found himself sitting against a wall in a small building with Andrea's head resting on his shoulder. He yawned and looked around him, realizing they were still in the Maryland rest-stop they had found after crossing the state border. They had spent the evening sleeping in each other's arms. After escaping from the Saviors, they were physically and mentally exhausted and agreed to stay at the first rest-area they found. Just then Andrea shifted and muttered under her breath. Shane could barely make it out.

"What happened, Drea?"

"One promise…" Her voice trailed off.

"Huh? Whatcha mean by that?"

"One promise…if you could make me one promise…what would it be?"

Shane closed his eyes as he thought about it. Seemingly out of nowhere, his mind wandered back to how their relationship was put to the ultimate test when they became Saviors under Negan's tyranny. The entire time, Andrea was terrified of living in The Sanctuary because of the wide variety of punishments Negan used against anyone who broke his ridiculous rules. If you didn't kneel when he came in your presence, if you didn't respond "Negan" to his infamous question "what's your name?"…. An iron to the face in front of the community, a severe gang beating, being forced to chain animated walkers to the building perimeter, locked in a broom closet for days on end with stale bread and sour milk… Surviving in The Sanctuary (because it certainly wasn't "living" in the loosest sense of the word), nearly tore them apart—before bringing them closer together.

Ironically, it all had to do with the man he had once loved as a brother—Rick Grimes.

Rick had killed his men in the Satellite Outpost. Rage had encased Shane from the moment he found out and saw the men's corpses laid out, some piled on each other and splattered in blood. Shane never stopped to wonder why Rick had done what he did. His anger had blocked any rational thought or reasonable explanation as to why Rick would gun down sleeping men. It didn't take long for Shane to become unrecognizable to Andrea—his personality had morphed into a vicious and bloodthirsty version of himself. She had tried to get him to see that Negan's vengeful plans for bloodshed were wrong, while he had eagerly anticipated Negan bludgeoning Rick (or anyone in his group) with Lucille. Andrea's pleading to get him to see the harsh reality of living under Negan were met with bitter arguments, and in time, a cold unrelenting silence.

Despite how hard he worked at it, Shane knew his presentation was awful even when he was in the best of moods. When he was in the worst of moods, his presentation was downright atrocious. And at that time, he was furious with Andrea for what he viewed as her siding with Rick. Every word that spilled out of his mouth was laced with hatred. Every glare he aimed at her, he hoped unnerved her. Their relationship was close to being severed…

Once he finally saw that Andrea didn't want him to follow in Negan's footsteps—how she didn't want him to lose himself, Shane was able to see the truth. He realized that underneath all his anger, that he couldn't promise her anything. They had vowed to stand by each other's side after they left Hershel's farm, but he couldn't promise her safety, wealth, comfort, or even happiness. He just wanted her to know that he would always love her. Shane had never quite told her that during their days living as Saviors, but now that she was asking for one promise…now he knew what to tell her.

"I was thinkin' 'bout when we lived as Saviors, Drea."

Andrea pulled away from him, wide awake now. "What? Why would you want to think—"

"Sshh, ssshhh…lemme finish."

"We just escaped with our lives, Shane." Andrea was adamant as she looked him straight in the eyes. "We're not going back."

Shane gave her a long look and said nothing. Right away, Andrea knew she had spoken too soon and assumed incorrectly. She laid her head back on his chest.

"I'm sorry…it's just…" She shrugged, unsure of what to say.

"I know, darlin', but it ain't what you're thinkin'." Shane sighed. Being vulnerable was never easy for him, although with Andrea, it was becoming more like second nature. "You asked me for one promise, an' I'm 'bout to tell you. It's jus' first my mind went back to that hellhole we just ran off from."

"What about it?" Her tone was curious this time.

"It was paradise in hell." Shane chuckled. The idea that "The Sanctuary" was anything but what the name implied—safety, comfort, shelter—was hilarious in a dark way.

"That's putting it nicely," Andrea mumbled, her face still pressed against his chest.

"I jus' want you to know that…I can't promise you the world, Drea. I can't promise you wealth, comfort, or even happiness—an' I know we had none of those things in that insane asylum."

"We had each other—we still have each other."

Shane felt wetness against his chest and realized Andrea was crying quietly as she clung to him. He gently caressed Andrea's hair and at the same time, he took a deep breath and then revealed his one promise to her.

"But I can promise you one thing…no matter what happens, I'll always love you."