AN: Here we are, another little snapshot of their lives. This one was inspired by an anonymous Tumblr request.
I hope you enjoy! If you do, please do let me know!
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Carol carefully chose the items to add to her cart.
There was a set of stockings for her fireplace. She would add the tags with their names that she intended to make. There was a pair of matching pajamas for each of them—Poppy loved when they wore matching pajamas. There were cute reindeer mugs for hot chocolate, and there was a movie that looked magical for children. A copy of "The Night Before Christmas" rounded out her pre-Christmas celebration purchases, at least for the day, and Carol could close her eyes and practically feel the warmth of Poppy's body against hers as she held the little girl and experienced all the holiday magic with her.
She could practically feel the warmth of Daryl's body, too, as they celebrated their own sort of holiday magic after Poppy was tucked away in bed.
This would be the happiest Christmas that Carol had ever known, and she was sure of that. Something inside her, though, hoped that it would only be the first of many very merry Christmases. Her relationship with Daryl was still quite new, however, so she didn't feel comfortable being too open about the things that her imagination got up to when her logical mind wasn't paying attention.
The holidays she'd shared with her own daughter, few though they had been, had been as magical as she could make them, but there had always been Ed there—her ex-husband who, hopefully, was living a daily nightmare in prison for what he'd done to their child—to ruin things.
Daryl wouldn't ruin things and, though she could never get those times with Sophia back, Carol was determined not to let that sadness keep her from enjoying the time with Daryl and Poppy that she'd been given.
Daryl also understood Carol's desire to spoil Poppy just a bit, and he supported that. Poppy had never known a mother and, though it was far too early to really say such things out loud, this would be her first Christmas with something of a mother figure in Carol.
Along with the items that Carol chose to help make the Christmas celebration special, she also picked up a few of the things that she intended to put under the tree for Poppy when Santa made his stop at her house—half the goodies coming from her, and the other half coming via the North Pole.
For stocking stuffers, Carol chose a box of watercolor paints, some crayons, and markers. To go under the tree, she got a big book of paper for Poppy's creations, and she added a few cute coloring books for Poppy. She chose a soft ragdoll and a stuffed dog, since Poppy loved soft things. There was still plenty of time for shopping for other items, especially since it wasn't even Thanksgiving yet, despite the overwhelming amount of Christmas items on sale, but it made Carol feel better to know she had a few things for Poppy already.
She had a few things for Daryl, too, though several of his items weren't likely to leave either of their bedrooms.
Carol was going through the clothes, looking for a few things to gift Poppy for keeping at her house, when she heard a familiar voice—a voice that already had the ability to catch her ears' attention over just about any other sound.
"Miss Carol!"
Quickly, and somewhat reflexively, Carol grabbed a handful of clothes that she didn't intend to purchase and spread them over the contents of her cart in a slightly frantic effort to cover everything there.
She was hardly able to put a smile on her face before she saw the toddler come barreling toward her. She caught her and squeezed her.
"Oh—Poppy!" She squealed to match the enthusiasm with which the little girl greeted her.
"Poppy!"
Running only far enough behind Poppy to be proof for how quick little legs could be, especially when Poppy was the perfect height for running under things that grown-ups had to go around, was a blonde woman that Carol had never met.
They made eye contact, and the blonde looked terrified to see Carol holding Poppy, to whom she clearly had some claim.
Carol felt her stomach drop as her mind offered her the very first explanation that it found. It was quick to throw it out—this woman was someone that Daryl hadn't told her about. She was some other woman he was seeing and, somehow, he'd managed to keep Poppy quiet about it.
Carol would have never expected such a thought to make her knees feel so remarkably shaky.
She nuzzled her face against Poppy's and breathed in the scent of the little girl—something that was a touch Daryl, a touch sweet like the scent of her favorite fruity shampoo, and a touch like the scent of another woman's perfume—the last part making her stomach feel a bit queasy.
"I don't know who you are, but give me back my niece."
Carol's knees went through another slightly wobbly transformation as her brain processed what the blonde said—a little unmistakable warning in her tone.
Carol smiled as the woman slowly approached her, the rise and fall of her chest giving away the fact that she had darted after Poppy, most likely in a genuine panic.
"I'm Carol," Carol offered. "You must be Daryl's brother's wife."
The woman stopped and looked confused.
"Andrea," she said.
Poppy caught Carol's face and Carol smiled at her. Poppy smiled back, holding her face with a little hand on each cheek.
"I got purple shoes," Poppy said. Carol might not have understood her, but she was becoming quite fluent in Poppy's language.
"You did?!" Carol said, more enthusiastic over shoes than she would normally be.
"Mmm hmm…you wanna see? You wanna see my shoes? Anandrea, where's my shoes?"
Andrea—or Aunt Andrea, as the case may be—was still staring at Carol, but she was close enough now that she could at least try to snatch Poppy from Carol's grip, if she felt that the girl was threatened.
Carol smiled at her, recognizing fear and territoriality in her expression. She extended the hand not holding Poppy.
"Carol McAlister," Carol offered. "I'm Daryl's…"
She paused, not sure how to finish. They hadn't given anything between them a title. They had just been letting things be what they were, whatever that might be. It was still somewhat new, after all. It felt strange giving things a title without Daryl there—without consulting with him. What if he didn't feel the way that she felt?
"Friend," Carol finished.
The woman's shoulders slumped forward with relief, as she let go of the last of her tension.
"Andrea Dixon," Andrea said. "Daryl's told me about you." She looked around. Some distance away, a man was coming with a lot less hurry than Andrea had employed. He was pushing a cart and taking his time, obviously sure that whatever crisis might have occurred could be handled by Andrea or that, if she needed him, she would have raised some alarm. "That's my husband, Merle."
Carol smiled and waved at the man who, satisfied to have found his wife and niece, leaned on the front of his cart, some feet away, and made no effort to hide the fact that he was absolutely checking Carol out from head to toe.
"Merle—this is Daryl's…friend. Carol," Andrea said over her shoulder.
He gave Carol a sort of wave that was more like half a salute. He continued to check her out, and Carol was almost certain that he'd have every square inch of her memorized in moments.
"Miss Carol," Poppy offered.
"Miss Carol," Andrea said, smiling. "I don't want you to think we can't keep up with her. It's just…she was doing so well, we thought she could be off the leash, and…"
"I'm not judging you," Carol said as gently as she could. She smiled at Andrea reassuringly and shook her head. "Not at all."
She didn't tell Andrea that she didn't believe in judging. Things happened. Carol, herself, had lost her daughter entirely and, though she blamed herself for it, she spent a lot of time practicing the art of accepting that nobody could control everything at all times.
"Where's my shoes, please?" Poppy asked Andrea. "I wanna show Miss Carol my shoes."
Carol put Poppy down and followed her over to the cart. Merle rummaged around and found the little shoes. He offered them to the little girl, and Poppy showed them to Carol.
"Oh—those are cute!" Carol declared.
"They're mine," Poppy said. "But you could have some. You could have some just like mine. It would be OK if you had some."
"I don't know if they make them in my size," Carol said, kneeling down to be more at Poppy's level. "But I love them! I can't wait to see you wearing them."
"Maybe Daddy can see me wear them, too," Poppy offered.
"At the same time?" Carol asked. Poppy nodded, and Carol laughed. "You tell your Daddy, OK? Tell him that I want us to see you wearing them at the same time."
"Come on, Poppy," Andrea said. "We've got to get our groceries, remember? We have to make dinner if we're going to watch your show and play in the tub later."
Poppy wrapped herself around Carol's legs, one hand still holding her shoes.
"I'ma go with Miss Carol," Poppy offered.
Andrea looked taken aback. Carol understood instinctively.
Part of her wanted to offer to take Poppy. Part of her wanted to say that she'd call Daryl and let him know that she had the little girl—despite the fact that she didn't have a seat in which to transport her. Part of her wanted to ask where he was, and why it was that Andrea and Merle were babysitting Poppy. It wasn't her business, though, and she knew that. A part of her also feared the answer, as the gnawing and slightly insecure voice inside of her offered the possibility that he was spending the day with some other woman—someone, perhaps, that he wanted to be entirely alone with—and then reminded Carol that she really had no claim to him or his affections. He had all the right in the world to be with anyone he chose.
Carol shook it all off.
Andrea and Merle were allowed to spend the day with their niece. She knew, from Daryl, that sometimes they did that. Sometimes, they gave him a day off while he cleaned the house or ran errands without Poppy.
"You have to go with your aunt," Carol said. "You'll have so much fun! You can tell me about it later, OK?"
"You gonna be at your house?" Poppy asked.
"I am," Carol said.
"I can come to your house," Poppy said.
"Maybe," Carol said. "But right now, you have to go to your Aunt Andrea's house."
"Come on, Pops, gotta go see Schnitzel," Merle offered. "Dog," he said to Carol when she looked at him. Carol smiled.
"Go play with Schnitzel," she offered.
Poppy smiled. She nodded and hugged Carol. Carol accepted the hug, and she lifted Poppy off her feet before handing her over to Andrea.
"It was nice meeting you," Andrea said.
Carol accepted the sincerity of the woman's words.
"Nice meeting you," Carol said. "I hope we'll see each other again."
Andrea smiled at her. She hugged Poppy, and Poppy rested her head against Andrea, content to be with her now that she was in her arms again.
"I'm sure we will," Andrea said.
Carol said her goodbyes and watched them go. For a moment, she felt an ache in her chest. She wanted to go with them. She wanted to be part of whatever that moment was—to be part of a family, perhaps. She wanted to keep holding Poppy and to spend the day with her.
Instead, she put the clothes back that she'd used to cover her chosen purchases, and she picked a few things that would match Poppy's new shoes. She dropped them in the basket and pulled out her phone.
She hesitated, but finally typed in the message.
"I'm picking up some things for Poppy," she typed.
"You spoil her too much," came the reply—quickly. Carol smiled at it.
"Do you know anything you'd like?" She asked.
"You ;-D."
Carol laughed to herself.
"You can have that any time," she sent. She hesitated a moment. "Tonight?"
"Working late. Gotta finish this. Deadline. Tomorrow?"
Carol smiled, a little relieved to have an answer for where he was. She hushed the voice that would have had her believe anything different.
"Can't wait. You and Poppy can help me put up the tree. Decorate early."
"Can't wait to get tangled in the tinsel with you."
Carol laughed to herself. She thumbed in a kissing emoji, told him to be careful at work, and pushed her cart toward the grocery section, determined to pick up the necessary items to have something warm and welcoming to offer him the next night.
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AN: Please know that, in these stories, there may be contradictions/overlap/repetition, etc. People may not age, and we may go forward and backward in time. Ages may change, too. I'm doing this as just an in-universe thing, so the only thing I promise is that it's the same universe/characters, but there may be plenty of changes and versions of the same theme.
I hope you enjoy! If you do, please do let me know!