There is some progress on the Beth/Daryl relationship in this chapter and will continue to build in the coming chapters.

Anyone reading?

Chapter 4

Daryl

April

News travelled fast in small towns. I knew that before I was a teenager but I had never really paid attention to it before but now I couldn't even sit in the only diner in town without someone approaching me to either ask about my shop or congratulate me on it. Like right now, I was simply trying to eat a quick lunch before Abe and I had to head to Atlanta when Rick Grimes, the local sheriff, slid into the booth opposite me. "Hey Daryl." He said as he settled into the booth. "How's things going?" He asked as he waved at the waitress who promptly brought him a cup of coffee as I chewed my huge bite of hamburger that I had taken right before he sat down.

"Just tryin' to eat lunch so Abe and I can head to Atlanta. Somethin' about needin' to pick out some stuff for the shop." I explained as I tossed a few fries into my mouth.

Rick nodded thoughtfully as he sipped his black coffee. "I drove by the other day and saw that it was coming along quite nicely."

I nodded as I chewed my food before responding. "It is. We're right on schedule. Plan to open the doors the weekend before the Fourth."

"That's great, we get some tourist coming through to camp around the holidays. My wife has been bugging me to talk to you about the shop. As you know, she's a stay at home mom with our three littlest ones still running around the house." He paused to take another sip of his coffee and I decided to just cut to the chase.

"What does she wanna sell in the shop?" I asked him point blank as I took a sip of my sweet tea.

Rick chuckled and dug into the front pocket of his uniform shirt. "Jewelry. She makes them out of wood and resin. She sells them at the local festivals and online but would love it if you would rent her a space to sell in your store or work out something to have them in your shop."

An idea popped into my head when he mentioned that she sold her jewelry online. I wasn't a jewelry person or anything of the sort but the colorful trinkets that Rick laid on the table were pretty and unlike anything I had ever seen before. "You said your wife sells these online?" I asked as I fingered the pretty items on the table.

"Michonne has a degree in web design but gave up her career when she fell pregnant with Andre." He explained. Through the grapevine I had learned of the family dynamic the sheriff had with his ex-wife, current wife, best friend, and their six kids between both couples. It was enough to make anybody's head spin but the kids seemed happy and that was all that mattered to the four adults who could just as easily be worst enemies instead of happy co-parents. "Why do you ask?"

Wiping my mouth with a napkin I folded my arms against the edge of the table. "I've been thinkin' that the shop needs somethin' online since that is where everybody looks for stuff at nowadays." I explained with a smirk on my lips. "Think the missus would be up to settin' somethin' up for me? I'm useless when it comes to the internet."

Rick smiled as he pointed to the jewelry his wife had pushed him to show Daryl. "Does that have anything to do with you selling her stuff in your shop?" He asked cautiously.

I immediately shook my head. "Absolutely not. If you'll walk out to the truck with me, I have an extra contract in there that you can take back to your wife and look over with her. I'll pay her to do the internet thing." I explained.

"A contract?" Rick inquired as I waved to the waitress for my check.

With a shrug of my shoulders I explained. "It's no big deal, really, just a basic consumer contract between me, the store owner, and whoever wants to sell something in my store. I've got so many of them already signed it ain't even funny." I said as the waitress laid my check on the table. After tossing some money on the table I stood up to head outside.

"Oh yeah? From who?" Rick asked as he followed me outside to where my truck was parked.

Pulling the bulging folder from beneath my front seat I flipped to the back where I pulled out a blank copy of the contract, handing it to Rick. "I've got the Monroe's for desserts, the Raleigh's for fruits and veggies, the Greene's for meat products, the Foley's for wool items, the Marinez's for homemade tortillas and salsa, the Cloyd's for homemade soaps and oils, and the Samuel's for homemade toys and pasta. Now I am soon to have the Grimes's for wood and resin jewelry." I said as I flipped through the signed contracts I had collected over the past three months.

Rick whistled lowly as I closed the folder and placed it back underneath my seat. "That's quite impressive, Daryl. I think your shop will be a success and great addition to our community. When I get home I'll ask Chonne about the website and have her call you about it and the contract."

I nodded as I climbed in my truck. "Sounds good, Sheriff. I really do gotta run before Abe starts getting agitated."

Slapping the hood of my truck Rick smiled at me before heading towards his cruiser.

That evening as I pulled into the driveway of my house, I felt utterly exhausted from the afternoon in Atlanta with Abraham picking out everything from counters to saws to wall tile to storage shelves. But my work day wasn't over yet. The cabinets had come in for my kitchen and bathrooms which meant I had a late night ahead of me because I had opted to install them myself to save a little money. Clicking the button that opened my new garage door I had installed a few weeks ago I spotted all of the cabinet boxes along with Dog waiting for me. As I parked my truck in the empty space next to the cabinets Dog ran outside to do his business. I let him run loose while the workers were here or I was here but when they left for the day they put him in the garage if I wasn't home yet. "This is gonna be fun." I mumbled as I pulled my phone out of my pocket to dial Irma to let her know the cabinets she had picked out were in.

"Hello son." She said after a few rings.

I chuckled as I climbed from the truck. "Your cabinets came in today." I told her as I grabbed the pieces of paper taped to the door that led into the house. It was the kitchen layout. "Why do I need so many cabinets?" I asked as I unlocked the door and headed inside. The house had taken on some massive changes in the past two months. We were officially onto what Abraham called the finishing touches stage. Several weeks ago when he had told me it was time to pick out cabinets, paint colors, and floors I had immediately called Irma and handed the phone to Abraham. I trusted her to pick out something that looked good and wouldn't break my bank account.

"Because the day is going to come, Daryl Dixon, that you are going to meet a woman and either fill that house with kids or sell it. Might as well do it up right the first go round." She explained as I walked into what was the kitchen space. The lines on the paper were also on the floor in bright green spray paint.

I grunted as I headed for the deck to sit on the chair I had put out there a few months ago. "If you say so. How's things going up there?" I asked as I settled in the chair that allowed me a view of the creek just beyond the edge of my yard where Dog was splashing through the shallow water. Dale and Irma had opted to hire a couple to run the farm and butcher shop in their absence and had been training them for the past month.

"They're going great. How's the butcher shop and store coming along? You haven't sent me any pictures in over a week." She chastised playfully.

"When I'm over there tomorrow for the latest inspection I will be sure and take lots of pictures for you. Promise." I told her honestly. Abraham had been overseeing the spraying of the epoxy in the abattoir and butcher shop areas to make them watertight, everything was being coated in the epoxy; floors, walls, and ceilings. That's what we were getting inspected on tomorrow.

"Sounds like a plan, son. I know it's late so I'll let you go but just know that I expect pictures of the cabinets once you get them up along with the shop and store progress." She told me firmly.

Smiling to myself I sat up a little in my chair. "Yes ma'am. I'm about to order me a pizza and get to work hanging the cabinets you picked out for me. Tell Dale 'hey' for me, will ya?" I asked her as I whistled at Dog to let him know that he was being watched though he rarely went past the other side of the creek.

"Absolutely, son. Love ya."

"Love y'all too." I said just before ending the call. Heading inside I fished around on the plywood that served as multiple pieces of furniture all in one for the piece of paper with Rhee Pizzeria's phone number on it. Once I found it I quickly dialed the number ordering myself a large supreme pizza with extra meat on it set for delivery then got to work hauling cabinets inside the house. Thankfully the things were already put together so all I had to do was find where they went and secure them in place.

Thankfully the uppers and lowers were two different colors so they were easy to tear apart and the guys had numbered each cabinet to coordinate with the paper they had taped to the door. After hauling all the cabinets in from the garage I had worked up quite a sweat so I tugged my shirt off since I was home alone. I never took my shirt off around other people due to the scars my sperm donor had given me during a particularly rough beating on my thirteenth birthday. Tossing my shirt onto the plywood catch-all I started organizing the lower dark gray cabinets according to the number on the back and the paper I had taped to the kitchen wall. In the middle of securing the sink cabinet beneath the window there was a knocking on the front door. Laying the drill down I quickly made my way to the front door to collect the pizza and pay the delivery driver. Yanking open the new solid door I gasped when I saw who was standing on the other side. None other than Beth Greene herself. "Beth? You deliver pizza's now too?" I asked curiously as I took the box from her hands. She wasn't wearing the same uniform that the other pizza delivery drivers wore. Instead she had a Rhee Pizzeria t-shirt paired with cut-off shorts and flip-flops.

She quickly smiled and shook her head. "Not really. Just helping my sister out—" Her gasp stopped her spiel mid-sentence and I immediately knew what caused her reaction. I had just turned to set the pizza box down so I could dig my wallet out to pay her. And I had forgot to put my shirt back on before answering the door. "Daryl?" She inquired softly.

I immediately stood back up and faced her with a frown on my face. "I don't need or want your sympathy, Greene, so save it for someone else." I told her harshly as I dug my wallet out of my back pocket, pulling out a $20 and shoving it in her hand before gripping the edge of the door, preparing to slam it shut to end the awkwardness.

"I understand." She whispered as she reached out to place her fingers on my fingers that gripped the door so tightly my knuckles were white. "Believe me, if anybody understands not wanting sympathy, it's me. Your secret is safe with me, I promise. Have a good night, Daryl." She whispered before turning around and heading back down the stone path that led to the driveway where her SUV was parked.

I watched her climb in her car and pull completely out of my driveway before moving from the doorway. "Idiot." I mumbled to myself before closing the door, grabbing the pizza box, and heading for the deck to eat my supper.

After the pizza was devoured by Dog and myself I got back to work on the cabinets in the kitchen before moving to the bathrooms. The cabinetry matched the dark gray of the kitchen lower cabinets but were much easier to put in since there was only seven cabinets total for both bathrooms. I put all of my focus into getting the cabinets installed correctly in an attempt to not dwell on Beth Greene's face when she had glimpsed the scars that slashed across my back, tipping over onto my shoulders and around my waist in spots. It wasn't working though, all I could think about was that initial look of shock when she had seen the scars and when I had snapped at her. I felt horrible for the way I had responded to her gasp, she didn't deserve to be talked to that way and I was worried that it would effect our business relationship because in just a few weeks I was going to start sourcing the meats from her farm. Once I had all the cabinets in place it was late but I just knew I wouldn't rest until I apologized to Beth for the way I had reacted. It was instinctual and I needed her to know that.

Heading for my truck I pulled out the stack of signed contracts that also had the contact information for each person, flipping through them until I came upon the one for Greene Farms. Tapping Beth's cell phone number into my phone I was just about to hit the call button when I realized it was late and I didn't want to wake her kids up or her if they happened to be asleep. So I decided to text her instead.

I just want to apologize for the way I bit your head off earlier. I'm sorry. Daryl.

Once the message read sent I pocketed the phone and stuffed the contracts back under my seat before locking up for the night.

I was living in the house but it was barely functional but at least now I had running water and a working toilet. The only way to shower at the moment was to take a dip in the cold water of the creek or by the shower bag I had hung up on the back deck. Grabbing my towel I headed for the deck to get in a quick shower before bed. It was a true blessing to not have any close neighbors because I stripped down to my birthday suit right there on the deck, placing my phone and wallet in the chair along with my towel. I was just about to flip the lever to let the water that had been heated by the sun all day pour over me when my phone dinged with an incoming text. Quickly grabbing it from the chair I saw that it was a return message from none other than Beth Greene.

We all have demons, secrets, and skeletons in our closets. People tend to lash out when they are uncovered without their permission. Though I will say this…YOU are the one that answered YOUR door without a shirt on.

Deciding it would be a little too on the perverted side to text her while standing on my deck naked I tossed the phone back onto the chair before stepping under the shower head I had rigged up when I first moved in. Grabbing my shampoo from the railing I poured a dollop in my hand before twisting the lever that would sent the water pouring down. I made quick work of my shower before the water ran out, ending my shower whether I wanted to or not. It would be nice to be able to stand under a scalding hot shower where the water wouldn't run out but that was going to happen in the next few weeks. Since purchasing this house I had escaped to the local motel a few times for a good nights rest and a hot shower but I had toughed it out right her for the most part. Wrapping the towel around my waist I gathered my dirty jeans, phone, and wallet from the deck before making my way back inside. I headed for what was going to be my office when everything was said and done but was currently serving as my bedroom. The room was the most done room of the entire house only needing flooring and paint. Tossing my dirty jeans into the clothes basket I settled down onto the air mattress that I had a love-hate relationship with to reply to Beth's text.

That's why I'm saying I'm sorry. I didn't think before yanking the door open. I'm sorry you had to see that, I know they're revolting. Again, I'm sorry about biting your head off.

Before I could lay the phone on the makeshift nightstand it dinged with another message.

My head is still intact so we'll call it no harm no foul. This time. Would it make you feel better if I told you that your scars are no worse than mine?

Impossible.

Not impossible. Trust me. Mine are just on the inside whereas yours are on the outside.

You can't possible have scars that equal to mine, Miss Greene. Trust me.

Trust isn't the issue here, Dixon. It's simply lack of knowledge. Maybe one day I'll show you my scars to prove that they are equal to yours if not worse.

One day? I'm old and don't take hints very well.

You are not old, older maybe, but definitely not old. This conversation proves to me that you are not old-old because old-old people aren't this good with technology.

I'm horrible with technology so there goes that theory.

Is your lack of knowledge of technology due to age and lack of interest or lack of exposure?

A little of all, I think.

Hmm. Still doesn't make you old. A lack of exposure can lead to a lack of interest that has nothing to do with your age. I was raised in the technology era and resist it most days, preferring the old ways of doing things.

I definitely wasn't raised in the technology era.

How old are you Mr. Dixon?

Too old to allow you to entertain anything with me.

I'm a grown woman who is older than her numerical age due to circumstances beyond my control so let me make my own decisions, thank you very much. We are just having a friendly conversation, aren't we? It's not like I'm pledging my love and loyalty to you. Lighten up and tell me how old you are.

This has went far beyond a simply apology text.

It has. You okay with that?

Honestly, I don't know. How old are you?

Don't you know it's rude to ask a woman her age when you won't even answer it about yourself?

Soon to be 33. Old enough to know better than to mix business with pleasure. Your turn.

25 in October. Old enough to know to know that every man isn't horrible.

Hmm. You don't look 24 but you act 34.

You look older than your age but 32 is so NOT old.

Life's not been a cakewalk for me. Those scars come with a lot of baggage and none of it's good.

My scars have baggage too, mine just walk and talk and call me 'Mama'. I have to look my baggage in their sweet innocent precious faces every single day, Daryl. Just because I'm friendly and pretty and usually have a smile on my face doesn't mean my life has been picture perfect. Far from it actually.

I was stunned at what I read on the tiny screen and was honestly speechless. Her kids were baggage like my father being a drunk and abuser was my baggage. Which meant the father of her kids must have done something horrible to her. But I knew from my own experience that it was better to not ask for more information, she would tell me in her own time if she wanted to.

Taking a deep breath I replied to her last text.

I never meant to imply that your life had been perfect, Greene, I'm sorry if that is the way you took it. I've managed to insult you twice in one day so maybe it would be better if we just said bye for now?

Technically the insults happened on separate days since it's four minutes past midnight but I have a busy day tomorrow so I better get to sleep. Goodnight Daryl, it was nice talking to you tonight.

Ditto. Goodnight Beth.

BTW…nobody says Ditto anymore, old man. Night.

The next morning as I tugged on a pair of work jeans and a t-shirt that I had cut the sleeves off of shortly after I bought it before hopping in my truck and making my way to the work sight. Pulling into the gravel lot I couldn't help but get excited at the almost finished storefront that stood tall and proud at the front of the lot. I had originally shown Abraham a picture of what I had wanted the storefront to look like and he had pulled it off 100%. The storefront, while brand new, looked like it had been here for years. It had rough sawn lumber slats for siding, big front porch with awning roof extending from the front of the building, and bright red accents in the roofing material and the window trim. The slaughtering and main butchering area at the back of the property resembled a metal storage building. Standing on the front porch was none other than Abraham and Jacqui, both with clipboards and tablets in their hands, waiting for me. "Good morning." I called out to them as I climbed out of my truck.

"Morning, Daryl, nice to see you again." Jacqui said as she smiled at me. She was a nice woman and I am grateful she is the inspector we got for this project because she understood my desire to do everything up to code.

I nodded at her as I stepped up onto the porch with them. "Nice to see you again, too. Shall we get started?" I asked as I motioned towards the front door of the store.

"Absolutely." Jacqui said as she stepped through the doorway. It was always nerve wracking to stand back and watch her do her job, not knowing what she was putting into her tablet or writing on her clipboard, but we had no other choice. We stayed close to answer any questions she had for us but far enough away to not crowd her. When we walked through the swinging door that separated the kitchen and secondary butchering area from the store front Jacqui turned to us. "What kind of counters and cabinets are you putting in this space?" She asked as she looked around at the newly sprayed epoxy floors and walls.

Clearing my throat I looked her straight on. "Stainless steel everything in both this space and the main butchering area out back. That way cleanup is easy and it lowers the risk of bacteria growth." I explained confidently.

Jacqui nodded with a smile on her face. "Good choice." She said before jotting something down on her tablet before moving on. The plumbing had already been inspected and approved so she skipped right over the area that was roughed in for the sinks and wash stations.

The inspection took almost an hour and a half to complete but when Jacqui handed us the 'continue work' slip we all breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." I told her honestly as I handed Abraham the piece of paper that he would tape up in the front window for easy viewing.

"You're welcome, Daryl. I don't know why you stress yourself out every time we do one of these walk-throughs. You guys pass each and every time with flying colors." Jacqui said as she folded her tablet and clipboard against her chest. "I honestly can't wait for the doors to open so I can see all this hard work in action."

I smiled at her. "Me either. We're aiming for the weekend before the Fourth as the time to open our doors to the public. I'm going to start slaughtering and butchering in two weeks so the meat will be ready for when we open." I explained to her.

"The abattoir and main butchering area look amazing, Daryl. Good luck with everything. I'll see you for one final inspection before you can start doing your cutting and dicing, okay?" She reminded me with a raised eyebrow.

Nodding my head in understanding I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "Yes ma'am."

She laughed as she stepped towards her car. "Bye gentlemen, till next time."

Abe and I both waved at her as she climbed in the state car she drove. When it was just the two of us left Abe clapped me on the shoulder and squeezed. "Getting a little nervous?" He asked as he leaned back against the railing of the porch.

I shrugged my shoulders as I mimicked his stance across from him. "Not really, just ready for it all to be done so I can get to work making money instead of spending it."

"I understand. Want to help out for a bit until the guys get here?" He asked me as he nodded towards the front door.

Pushing back to my feet I nodded. "Yeah, what we doin' today?"

He just laughed and headed inside hollering "Come on, man." over his shoulder.

Beth

"Mama, want." Aiden said as he pointed to the bags of grapes on the cooler shelf. Reaching out I ruffled his hair playfully causing him to swat at my hand. "Gwape, Mama." He demanded with a serious look on his face. Grocery shopping with two toddlers was near impossible so I typically swapped who I brought each time I came to the store while my mom or sister watched the other one. Today was Aiden's turn while Aurora stayed with her Nana and Papa.

Grabbing a bag of purple seedless grapes I placed the back next to Aiden in the seat part of the cart. "Don't eat them all, Nana is cooking dinner." I told him as I opened the bag for him to snag a grape to munch on while I finished grocery shopping. "Your Aunt Maggie has taught you a very bad habit, young man." I told him as I grabbed the mushrooms my mom had requested along with a bag of mini carrots.

"Yum, Mama." Aiden said as he made a big show of putting a juicy grape in his mouth causing me to laugh at his antics.

Looking down at the list I had made before leaving I began pushing the cart forward, only to slam into something causing me to drop my list and Aiden to look at me with wide eyes. "It's okay, baby." I soothed him as I looked up, only to realize that I had pushed my cart into the one and only Daryl Dixon. The man I had not heard a single word from in over a week. "I'm sorry, Daryl, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." I apologized as I caught Aiden turning around in his seat to check out who I was talking to.

"Dog?" He asked me as he pointed to Daryl.

I smiled at him and nodded. "Yep, Daryl brought his dog in a few weeks ago. Can you say hi?"

Aiden smiled and waved at Daryl. "Gwape?" He asked Daryl as he held out a grape towards the man who still hadn't spoken a single word but smiled at my son.

Daryl took the grape my son offered him and popped it into his mouth with a smile down at my little boy who was watching to see his reaction. "Those are really good. Thanks, little one." Daryl told him as Aiden nodded eagerly.

"Yum!" He said as he popped another grape into his mouth with a bright smile on his little face.

I chuckled at his reaction, shaking my head at my silly boy before looking back up at Daryl. "I'm really sorry about running into you."

"Seems like that's all we do is apologize to each other." He said softly as he wheeled his buggy up next to me so that we were standing side by side. "First me, now you."

Shrugging my shoulders. "It happens, I suppose. How've you been?" I asked as I plucked a canister of oats off the shelf to add to the cart.

"Busy now that the structure of the store and shop are up. Maybe you wanna swing by and take a look at it now that it's almost finished? Your animals are gonna be comin' there in a few weeks." He rattled nervously as he plucked a box of Twix off the shelf that caught my son's eye also. It was a rare occasion that they were allowed sugary cereal but I personally loved it and had to buy it when they weren't with me.

"Mama?" Aiden called softly as he patted my hand to get my attention.

Looking back at him I seen him glance at the box that was in Daryl's hands. "Yes sir?" I asked as I brushed his longish red hair back out of his eyes.

"Those?" He asked pointing to the box Daryl was placing in his cart.

"Your Nana is going to kill us." I told him as I plucked a box off the shelf to hand to him so he could dump it in the cart, his favorite part of grocery shopping. "What do you say?" I asked him as he placed the box in the back of the cart.

He looked at me with a bright smile. "Love Mama!"

"I love you too but thank you is what I was looking for." I told him as I handed him a grape to pull his attention back to eating his grapes. He shoved a grape in his mouth with enthusiasm causing me to shake my head at his antics.

Daryl chuckled at our interaction. "I don't want to keep y'all. Just shoot me a text and let me know about coming to see the shop and store." Daryl said quietly.

"I'll look over my schedule tonight and let you know when I can squeeze a few hours out to come take a look. I've got finals coming up this week so I don't know how soon it will happen though." I admitted cautiously.

Shrugging his shoulders he smirked at me. "Just let me know, college girl. Bye Aiden. Later Beth." Daryl said as he made his way in the opposite direction.

With a smile on my face I quickly made my way through the grocery store while Aiden munched happily on his grapes. By the time Aiden and I made it back to the farm the driveway was filled with vehicles which was typical for Sunday dinners. Shawn and Veronica, until they moved back, came down from Atlanta most Sunday's to attend church with our parents and stayed through dinner. Maggie and Glenn came out from their place in town for a chance to eat Mom's food and catch everybody up on the local gossip they heard at the Pizzeria. Otis and Patricia had been coming over for Sunday dinner my entire life and even when my siblings didn't show up, Otis and Patricia always did. "We're home!" I called out as I held the door open for Aiden to walk through carrying his one grocery bag so he could help me carry things inside. "There's more in the car!" I called out as I emptied my hands on the floor in front of the refrigerator.

"Here, Mama." Aiden said as he handed me the bag he had carried inside for me.

Raking his hair out of his eyes I pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Thanks buddy. Go find Rory." I told him just as my mom and Patricia walked into the kitchen.

"Rory is in the den with Maggie and Veronica." My mom said as Aiden ran past her on his quest to find his sister. "Was the grocery very busy?"

Sunday dinners were a bit chaotic as we all squeezed around the dining room table, even with the extra sections put in, it was a tight fit with 9 adults and two highchairs. Dinner was never a quiet formal thing at the Greene house, it was the time when everybody talked about their days and plans for the next day. "Dad, what is the space above the clinic used for?" Shawn asked during a rare quiet moment.

"Storage, why?" My dad asked curiously as he took a bite of the chicken fried steaks my momma and Patricia had cooked for dinner.

Shawn looked at Veronica who smiled and nodded in return. "Ronnie and I were thinking about living above the clinic for a while."

"It's just a bunch of empty rooms son. No plumbing or anything up there. The electricity of course was redone when the clinic was but that's it." Dad explained with a shake of his head.

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "That's okay, better actually because we can make it our own. We're just not ready for a big house and yard and everything while we are learning to take over the clinic."

Veronica is the one that spoke up next. "Once the baby comes, it will also be more convenient for us to live right above where we work."

"What about your land here?" I asked as I placed a few more pieces of cut up meat on each of my kids' trays.

Shawn smiled at me. "It'll still be here when we're ready for the yard and house and everything, right?"

"Of course. Can I use it for grazing until that time comes?"

"I don't see why not." Shawn said with a nod of his head.

My dad smiled at both me and Shawn before turning to my sister to dig around in her life.

By the time everybody had left, bath and bedtime routine for the twins done, I collapsed across my bed exhausted but knew I still had some studying to get done since my last ever final exams began tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. Deciding to take a chill out moment before studying I grabbed my phone off the charger so I could scroll through Facebook for a few minutes. When I pulled the charger out I saw that I had a text message causing my heart to speed up since most of the people that typically text me had just left a short time ago. Putting in my password I couldn't help but smile brightly when I saw the message was from Daryl. It was a video of Dog splashing in a creek, barking at something under the water.

Well, he looks happy. I replied before opening up Facebook to see if anything interesting had popped up.

It wasn't long before a message came through in return. He was until I had to give him a bath with the water hose.

LOL. Seeing him splashing in the creek makes me want to go swimming so bad.

Why don't you go?

Too busy but that will change after graduation in a few weeks, hopefully. Speaking of, I gotta hit these books for my first final tomorrow. I'll look over my farm/clinic/school schedule and see when I can squeeze out a few hours to come see your shop/store. I'll let you know tomorrow.

Okay, don't hit them too hard.

LOL

After my last message I tossed the phone aside to grab my book, notebook, and laptop to get some serious studying done.