A/N: Thank you all for the follows, faves, and reviews. They're all so amazing and I love them and you truly. I know it's been like, 84 years since I undated but that was never the intention. I had a bit of writer's block on this one but it finally came together, I think. It's a long chapter because s many of you wanted to see the axe throwing (lol) and I didn't want to break up their weekend in King County again. Let me know what you think!
Chapter 8 - Sweet Emotion
Inspired by "Sweet Emotion" by The Kooks
"Do you think he's going to do it?" Carl asked.
Michonne shrugged and put her hand on Carl's shoulder.
"I have a good feeling about it," she answered and she really did. She'd already come to the conclusion that she would never tease him about his ability to be good at something as random as axe throwing ever again. Then again, there was something about the concentration on his brow and the focused gleam in his piercing stare that made her think that maybe he was trying a little harder because she'd teased him. Either way, she never thought something as outdoorsy as axe throwing would make her as hot and bothered as she was at that exact moment and not one axe had actually been thrown yet.
She and Carl were standing behind a rope to the right of where Rick was preparing to throw. She pulled her lip between her teeth unable to hide her smile from watching his biceps flex as he took a few practice swings to judge the weight of the axe in his hand.
The target was a wooden circle suspended from a tree at least fifteen feet away from him. The object seemed simple enough; hit the target with all three throws and win the grand prize. Unfortunately, none of the guys in line ahead of them had been able to do it. Most missed the first throw but landed the second two, winning one of the smaller prizes.
"You ready?" The operator asked and Rick gave him a short nod as he moved the axe into throwing position.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Carl cross his fingers on both hands and even though it was a little silly, she did the same. She wanted to close her eyes but she couldn't. Rick's movements transfixed her as his muscles of his back stretched and tightened beneath his snug t shirt as he prepared his first throw. That, coupled with his serious expression was a lot but then he licked his bottom lip before releasing the axe in a smooth throw, sending darts of electricity running through her from head to toe.
Her heart was racing but neither the dull crack of metal hitting wood or Carl's cheers could tear her eyes away from him. Rick picked up the second axe and threw it just as perfectly as the first. The third axe hit with ease a few seconds later and it was only then that he looked over at her wearing a cocky grin that sent butterflies swirling around in her belly. Her face erupted into a smile and she clapped and cheered as he shook hands with the operator and went to pick a prize. A few minutes later, his purposeful stride brought him over to her carrying a very large and very colorful stuffed cat.
"I know I promised you a teddy bear but I saw this thing and figured you'd like it more," he said, handing her the gaudy but still cute cat.
She grinned and took the cat from him, hugging it close to her chest.
"It's too damn gorgeous, thank you," she said, and she wanted to say more but Carl ran up threw his arms around his father. It was tough to impress a 10 year old, especially for dads, but Rick had just done it and Carl was looking at him like a hero.
"Way to go dad! That was so awesome! I recorded it on my phone. I can't wait to show my friends!" He rambled, wearing a grin wider than she'd ever seen.
"Thanks son," he said, ruffling Carl's hair before turning his attention back to Michonne.
"Well, counselor...was that display of athleticism good enough for you?" Rick asked and she smiled at the recollection of their earlier conversation.
"I liked it," she said, pulling him into an embrace. She brought her lips to his ear and whispered, "I'll have to give you the right kind of kiss later."
"I'm looking forward to that," he said, a slightly pink blush coloring his cheeks. He draped his arm over her shoulders with a smile and pulled her into his side. As soon as his lips grazed her forehead, her eyes fluttered closed as she relaxed into the comfort of his arms. "Hey, Carl? Where did you say Duane and Sophia were?"
"They're over at the rides with Duane's mom and dad," Carl answered.
"Let's go find them so I can give Morgan and Jenny a break for a while," he said.
"Yes!" Carl ran ahead of them looking for his friends and she glanced up at Rick who had a little smile on his face.
"Is it our turn to watch the kids?" She asked and he raised an eyebrow.
"If I take this shift, that'll leave Carol the later one and we can have a little bit of time to ourselves. Maybe you can show me how much you liked my axe throwing," he said and she could only shake her head and laugh. It was going to be a very long day at the festival.
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They met up with Duane's parents who had taken the first shift with the kids and they seemed grateful for their break. Carl immediately pulled out his phone and showed Duane and Sophia the axe throwing video and both of them couldn't stop talking about how cool he was for winning.
Duane and Sophia were both good kids who seemed to already know a lot about Michonne. Apparently, Carl had been texting them about his dad's comic book loving, video game playing, super awesome new girlfriend and they bombarded her with questions between rides. Carl would excitedly answer a lot of them before she could open her mouth, but she just nodded her agreement with whatever Carl said.
After spending most of the afternoon taking the kids from ride to ride and game to game, Rick got a text from Carol letting him know that his shift was up. They met up with her near the food area for the trade off and after giving Carl a $20 bill for food and whatever else he wanted, it was just the two of them.
They grabbed some food from the Bodacious BBQ tent because they had the absolute best ribs he'd ever had. Michonne agreed that they were good, but not as good as her dad's which he would have to try one day. He laughed at how she turned out to be a slightly messy eater of BBQ and he took great pleasure in kissing away the remnants of sauce on her lips.
They were on their way back out to the midway when they ran into Shane and his flavor of the week but he made a point of not sticking around too long. He was enjoying having Michonne all to himself a little too much. They weren't doing anything except walking around and talking but it was enough. Shane was more interested in the woman he was with than them anyway, so after a short conversation he excused himself and his lady friend as they went over to the beer tent.
Before too long, the sun was setting and they were going to have to go meet Carol to pick up Carl, but he was determined to get her on that Ferris Wheel before the day ended. The line wasn't too long and when they got to the front, and he slipped the guy an extra $5 to make sure they stopped at the top just a little while longer than usual.
As the ride started, he just took a moment to just bask in her. She was holding on to the cat he'd won for her that she'd dubbed "Rainbow Cat" and looking at the town below them, and he was watching her and making note of the way the sun made her skin look even more radiant that it usually did. He memorized the way that one loc that kept escaping the bun she'd pulled her hair into when it had gotten hot earlier, waved up as it fell down her back.
When their car rumbled to a stop at the top, she turned to him and with her dark eyes shining and her lips curved into a grin, she said, "Looks like we're stuck. How ever will we pass the time?"
He smiled and draped his arm across her shoulders. "I don't know," he said. "Do you have any suggestions?"
"I've never been kissed at the top of a Ferris wheel before...," she whispered, and he responded by leaning in close to her and rubbing the tip of his nose against hers.
"Well…I think we can rectify that," he said, right before tilting his head and lowering his mouth to hers. Her hand moved up to cup his face and as soon as he felt her fingertips getting lost in the hair at the nape of his neck, the arm around her shoulders tightened to hold her even closer to him. The car swung a little bit at the movement and it elicited the cutest little squeal he'd ever heard out of her, making him laugh too. It broke the kiss just long enough for him to see her face alight with joy with her gorgeous, toothy smile at the center of it.
"I love your smile," he said, and almost on command, her smile grew even wider.
"Yeah?"
He nodded and kept his eyes trained on hers. "I mean…you're already so goddamn gorgeous but when you're smiling at me…I don't know. It's like looking at the sun. You're stunning." He thought he saw her eyes tear up, but before he could say anything else, she kissed him. He was completely at her mercy as her exquisite lips expertly worked against his and before long the kiss was transformed by wandering hands and the addition of tongues and teeth. They were making out like a couple of horny teenagers and he didn't care.
As the Ferris wheel started to move again, they reluctantly calmed things down but they continued holding on to each other. Her head rested on his shoulder and their hands stayed intertwined for the remainder of the ride.
He was still in a slight haze as they made their way to the rendezvous point where Carol and Sophia were waiting with Carl. After catching up for a little bit, the three of them began the long trek back to the car after a busy day at the festival. He walked with her tucked into his side and his arm over her shoulders and Carl walked in step with them on his other side.
Just before they got to the gate, Carl grabbed his arm.
"Cool! They have a photo booth! Can we try it, dad? Please?" He laughed and Michonne let go of him so he could be dragged over to the booth by his son.
"It's just a photo booth…," he argued, but Carl was on a mission.
"I've never done it before!"
"Ok, ok…I'm in." He pulled out his wallet and fed the machine some money before climbing inside with Carl right behind him. He kept waiting for Michonne to follow them in but he knew her. She probably didn't want to intrude on a moment that she believed was just for him and Carl.
He didn't have too long to think about how to broach the subject with his son because Carl poked his head out of the booth and yelled, "C'mon, Michonne! You're one of us so you have to get in here too!"
He couldn't have been more impressed by his kid even if he wanted to be. He wouldn't have minded taking the pictures alone, but the fact that Carl wanted her in there with them meant so much to him. He knew they'd bonded, but it was even more evident just how much they'd bonded.
He stuck his head out of the booth and grinned at the surprised, yet grateful look on Michonne's face.
"You heard him. You're one of us, so get on in here," he said, cosigning on Carl's invitation.
That beautiful smile washed over her again and she quickly squeezed into the booth with them, ending up sitting on his lap still holding Rainbow Cat, with Carl on the seat next to them. As the three of them mugged for the camera, he kept thinking about how much his life had changed in such a short amount of time and it was all because of the woman sitting on his lap. He'd never know what he'd done to deserve Michonne in his life…in his son's life…but he was going to do everything he could to keep her there. He wanted to make sure that perfect day was the first of many more perfect days with his two favorite people.
XXXXX
Michonne stepped out of the bedroom, leaving Rick to finish getting ready for church alone so he would stop being distracted by her. They'd spent way too long getting lost in each other that morning because he'd been nearly insatiable. After ending up breathless and boneless for the third or forth time, she retreated to the shower and barred him from joining her. She didn't want to be late and keep Loretta waiting but Rick didn't seem to share her concerns so she had to get out of his way to get him back on track.
She found Carl slumped into the leather recliner in the living room already dressed and looking pretty dapper for a 10 year old. His light blue button down shirt brought out his eyes and made her see even more of his father in him. when he saw her, he sat up a little straighter but the bored expression didn't leave his face.
"Good morning, Carl," she greeted.
"Good morning...is dad almost ready? Grandma's not going to be happy if we're late for church," he cautioned and she nodded her agreement.
"He should be ready in a few. Did you eat breakfast?" She asked.
"I had cereal. It wasn't as good as what we had yesterday," he replied and she agreed completely. Rick had brought her some coffee and toast during one of their lulls and the whole time she ate it she was wishing it was Rick's pancakes.
"I'd rather have pancakes again too but isn't your grandma making a big lunch for us?" She asked and Carl nodded.
"She always cooks a lot on Sunday and she's a really good cook! I hope she makes mac and cheese. It's so good," he said and based on his review, she hoped there was mac and cheese too.
"Are you excited about the summer? Your dad says you're spending the entire break with him," she said.
"Yeah! Me, Duane, and Sophia are going to a day camp while our parents are working. They have field trips, swimming, fishing, archery…it's going to be so much fun! I think we're even going to see the Braves!"
"You like baseball?" She asked and Carl nodded emphatically.
"I'm gonna play on the rec league team while I'm here for the summer," he said, a little bit of pride sneaking into his words.
"That sounds cool! What position do you play?" She asked.
"I don't know yet. I've never played before but my dad says the coaches will help me figure it out," he said and she nodded her agreement.
"That's what the coaches are there for; to put everyone in the best positions so the team can win," she explained.
"Thats what my dad said...do you like baseball?" He asked.
"I do. I used to go see the Braves with my dad when I was your age," she replied.
"Cool! Dad and grandpa used to take me to games…," Carl jumped up from the sofa and ran over to grab a framed picture from the table by the door. He came back and handed it to her to look at. "This is from the last game we went to."
She stared at the photo of Rick with a not too much younger version of Carl standing between him and a man she would've recognized as Rick's father even if Carl hadn't prepped her for it. It was like looking into the future and seeing what Rick would look like in twenty five years. Big Carl was a little taller than Rick but he had the same build and the same unruly curls peeking out from the edges of his cap. Rick clearly had Loretta's eye color; his father's were a much deeper almost sapphire blue but they were still the same eyes filled with the same joy in that photo. He was a very handsome man and it was no wonder Betty flirted with Rick the way she did.
They were all wearing Braves hats; Rick's was backwards and Carl's was a little big causing it to fall over his eyes as he sported a huge toothless grin. Big Carl had his arm draped over his son and grandson, looking so proud that it brought a smile to her face. Three generations of Grimes men made a striking picture.
"How old were you here?" She asked, her fingers tracing Rick's face in the photo. He looked the same, but lighter in some way; like the pain of the last few years hadn't settled in behind his features yet.
"Ummm…I was 7 and grandpa wanted to go to the game for dad's birthday. We had so much fun! We even stayed in a hotel in the city! I'd never stayed at a hotel before and Grandpa let me order room service and we went swimming in the hotel pool!"
Listening to Carl describe what had be such a fun trip for him brought a smile to her face.
"That does sound like fun! You three had a boys weekend," she laughed, imagining the three of them living it up in the big city.
"That's what grandma called it. I wish we could've done it again but…grandpa got sick…" Just as quickly as he'd brightened, he faded out; the smile he'd been sporting minutes earlier, replaced by a frown. As he just silently stared at the picture, she wrapped her head around what he was saying to her.
For some reason, she'd assumed that Rick's father had passed away years ago but the picture and the still fresh sadness Carl harbored told her otherwise. The picture was only three years old and coupled with what she knew about Rick's divorce, it all seemed to coincide. Losing his father and his marriage at the same time would've been a lot to handle for anyone and it would've been worse for a little boy losing the happy life he'd always known.
"Oh Carl…I'm sorry to hear that," she said, but her words didn't pull his eyes away from that picture.
"Grandma says it's better now because he's not sick anymore…I don't know. I still miss him and I think dad misses him too..." Carl's voice trailed off and when she saw tears in his eyes nothing was going to stop her from pulling him into a fierce hug.
"It's ok to still miss him…," she whispered as she held him close, her own tears beginning to stream down her face as she thought about how much that little boy had been through in such a short amount of time. "You don't have to be so strong all the time."
Slowly, his arms slid around her and he hugged her back.
"I just wish me and dad could still go to games and have fun like we used to," he said, his voice still a little shaky and she only squeezed him harder.
"You should talk to your dad about it. He'll understand," she said and Carl took a step back out of their hug and eyed her warily.
"Do you think…going to a game might make him sad?"
She shook her head, wondering how that little boy got to be so sweet and gave him a watery smile. "I think he'd love to take you to a game, just like his dad used to take him. In fact, I think asking him to take you to a game would make him really happy."
"You think so?" He asked, and she nodded placing her hands on his shoulders.
"I know so," she declared, and a weak smile finally appeared on Carl's face. "You should definitely ask him."
The bedroom door opened and Rick's heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor alerted them that he was finally ready to go. Carl quickly moved away from her wiping his eyes but he still managed to smile at her.
"Thanks, Michonne," he whispered before running to put the picture back in it's place.
"Are we all ready to…," She was still wiping tears from her eyes when Rick stepped into the living room and that was enough to make his words fade out mid sentence as he came to a stop. He looked from her to his son who was already standing by the door ready to go. "What's going on? Why are you crying?"
She shook her head trying to diffuse the slight panic in his voice and looked over at Carl with a smile.
"Everything's fine. We were talking about something sad and I got a little carried away that's all," she explained. It wasn't quite a lie and it wasn't quite the truth but she could deal with that if it meant letting Carl talk about his feelings with his dad on his own terms.
"Are you sure?" He asked, glancing over at his son who was still fidgeting and doing everything in his power not to meet his father's eye.
"Yep," she answered, walking over to him and carefully straightening his tie. "You look very handsome, sergeant. Reminds me of our first date…," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair to draw his attention back to her.
He silently observed her for a minute and she could tell he wasn't quite buying the story she was selling but he didn't say anything else about it. He simply placed his hands on her bare shoulders and kissed her forehead and she was grateful for it.
"You look lovely. I still can't figure out how you knew to pack something like that," he said and she looked down at the pink and white flowery dress with the conservative knee length she was wearing and shrugged.
"Let's just say I had a feeling we'd end up in church with your mom," she said, remembering his flabbergasted reaction over the excessive suitcase she brought with her for the weekend. "I bet you'll never tease me about overpacking again!"
"No, I guess not," he laughed, grabbing her hand and heading for the front door. "We'd better get over there. I'm surprised she isn't texting me to find out where we are."
Carl turned bright red and gave his dad a sheepish grin.
"Umm…dad? She called me fifteen minutes ago," he confessed. "I told her you weren't ready yet."
Rick dropped his head and sighed, "And what did she say?"
"She said you guys need to come up for air whatever that means...," Carl paused just as Rick's face started to match the flowers on her dress and her hand didn't quite cover her mouth fast enough to muffle her giggle. "...what does that mean, dad?"
His eyes shot up to hers in a silent plea for help but her mind went completely blank. He must've realized she wasn't going to be any help and he shook his head and began ushering both of them out the door.
"It means…get up and get moving which is exactly what we're doing," he said and Carl shrugged before he ran outside.
She stood in front of him in the doorway and laughed at the stricken look that was still on his face.
"It's not funny," he grumbled. "Mama and I are going to have a talk…"
"It's a little bit funny…especially since that is the reason we're running late," she teased and a slow smile spread across his face.
"It's our last day together for a little while and I just wanted to start it off right," he whispered, leaning forward to brush her lips with his. Memories of being awakened by his mouth and tongue sent a flush of heat racing through her. He'd spent the morning worshiping her and she'd enjoyed every minute of it.
Knowing how easily he got distracted and that they were already running late, she stepped away from him and their kiss after a few seconds and went to join Carl by the car.
"C'mon, sergeant! I can't be late to church my first time there," she said and he laughed to himself as he closed the door and locked up behind them. She pulled her keys from her purse and tossed them to him, and he easily caught them midair.
"Alright, alright…let's go. Mama needs to have enough time before service starts to introduce you to everybody you didn't meet yesterday," he said but it almost sounded like a threat. She was sure she'd met the whole town the day before. How many more people could possibly live in King County?
Based on that information, there was no way they were going to able to just slide into the back pew and escape right as the service ended. Loretta probably had a seat right in the front and she was probably reserving the row for them. She didn't know why she was suddenly so nervous. It was just church on a Sunday morning with her boyfriend, his mother, and his son in a town where everybody knew each other and she was already the main topic of conversation for most of them...
"Maybe we can just take our time…," she said, her voice a little shakier than she imagined it would be.
"Oh no, counselor! We couldn't possibly be late for church…," he joked and the cocky grin that usually made her turn to mush, turned against her for the first time since they met.
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He'd never understand how his mother managed to pull together her elaborate after church lunches considering most of her morning was spent at church. Still, when they walked into her house, it was filled with the delicious smells of his favorite foods.
After being treated as guests of honor at church, they'd gone back home to change clothes and pack up Michonne's car for the trip back to Atlanta. He'd managed not to let Michonne distract him too much so they were pretty much on schedule when they got to his his mother's. They followed Carl through the house to the kitchen where they found her pulling the last few pieces of chicken out of the frying pan. She'd gone all out that day and on the table were green beans, biscuits, mashed potatoes, Carl's favorite macaroni and cheese, and there was even her world famous lemon pound cake sitting on the countertop. Rick laughed to himself at just how much his mama must've liked Michonne to do all that.
She looked up and gave them a wide smile as she wiped her hands on her apron. "There y'all are! What took you so long? Never mind, lunch is almost ready. Carl, can you set the table for me, please?" Carl grabbed the stack of plates from the counter and Michonne followed his lead and picked up the glasses and the silverware.
"I'll help," she said, before following Carl out of the kitchen. Rick shook his head and smiled to himself as he watched them go.
"Looks like she and Carl are already thick as thieves," his mother said, going back to stirring the gravy on the stove.
"Yeah, they were good right off the bat," he agreed.
"That's good…especially since you're already head over heels in love with her."
He felt the blush creep across his cheeks and he quickly diverted his eyes away from her.
"Mama…," he said, his hand moving to nervously rub the back of his neck. His mother laughed and shook her head.
"Now, Rick, there's nothing wrong with that. She's a sweetheart and I never saw your ex-wife look at you the way Michonne looks at you so I know she's just as in love as you are,"
Even though he was thrilled to hear that his mama saw how much love there was between him and Michonne, he couldn't believe she was still that petty toward Lori.
"You can say her name…," he sighed, and she immediately shook her head.
"I cannot. You know what they say about speaking the devil's name," she said, pouring the contents of the pan into the gravy boat. "But she is a reminder that relationships aren't always as easy as the seem in the beginning."
"I know that, mama…"
"It's just that…I think you two are in this love bubble and you're not considering that everybody might not be as forward thinking as they should be…especially in King County in these crazy times," she explained, and even though he knew exactly what she was talking about, he didn't want her to worry about that.
"Mama…," he began, still trying to think of the right words to make his mother understand that it was going to be ok.
"Listen to me, Rick. I'm not telling you this for any reason other than I want you to be ready for it. You've got a temper like your daddy and you're gonna have to control that if you hear small minded people saying small minded things."
He stared at her for a minute and realized that she wasn't warning him about things that might happen. She was letting him know about something that had already happened.
"Have people made comments to you?" He asked, as that temper she spoke of flared up to the surface.
"Don't you worry about that. You know I have no problem setting folks straight. They're going to think twice before saying anything remotely like that in my presence again," she replied, but that wasn't good enough.
"Who said it and what did they say?" He demanded.
"It's not worth repeating and see? You're getting all riled up already. God forbid you actually hear someone say something," she said as she went back to getting the food together.
"Mama, you can't tell me something like that and not give me any details," he said, trying his best to stay calm but his mother was right. He wasn't going to stand for anyone saying anything remotely disparaging about the woman he loved.
"Rick…," she sighed, "…it was just an old fool saying old fool things. These days those kind of people feel like they can spew their venom freely. I just don't want them taking you both down with them," she said.
"I'm not letting this go," he said.
"You're going to have to because I've said everything I have to say about it." Laughter from the dining room interrupted her and a smile appeared on her face at the sound. "I do love hearing him laugh like that."
"I think I've heard him laugh more in the last three days than I have in a long time," he said as Carl and Michonne's voices filled the air around them.
Loretta cupped his face in her hands and smiled, "Honey, the last few years have been tough on him…on both of you. You've come a long way on your own but I'm just glad you found someone who can help both of you finish climbing out of it."
He covered his mother's hands with his and smiled back at her. She was right; it had been a rough few years for all of them starting from the day his father was diagnosed with cancer. It was inoperable, fast moving, and the doctors only gave him six months to live. His father was a fighter and he made it a little over a year. They were still reeling from his loss when his marriage fell apart. Through it all, they had each other.
"I love you, mama," he said and she nodded.
"I love you too…now help me take the food into the dining room. We need to eat before the food gets cold," she said before lovingly patting his cheeks.
"Yes, mamn," he said, moving to grab the chicken.
"Oh, and Rick?"
"Yes?"
"Don't forget what I told you yesterday," she warned and he shook his head and chuckled as her heatedly whispered words from the day before ran through his head.
"You told me not to give you another grandbaby before I gave you another daughter-in-law…," he whispered after glancing toward the dining room to make sure neither Carl nor Michonne were anywhere nearby.
She walked past him carrying the macaroni and cheese and peered at him over the rim of her glasses.
"That's right. You two act like you can't keep your hands off of each other and if it's going to happen, at least do it in order please," she said before disappearing into the other room.
Rick pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. His mother was definitely something else.
XXXXX
Michonne carefully washed another plate and handed it to Loretta to dry. Lunch had been delicious and she made a mental note to ask Loretta what she put in her biscuits to make them so fluffy. It had been a long time since she'd eaten an old-fashioned meal like that and it reminded her of Sundays after church when she was growing up. It also made he look forward to spending time with her own family the following week.
Sitting around the table listening to Loretta tell embarrassing stories about Rick when he was a boy made her laugh more than she had in a long time. Rick kept telling Carl not to do any of those things his grandma was talking about but you could tell that Carl was taking notes.
She glanced out the window and smiled to herself as she watched Carl and Rick throwing a baseball across the backyard. Carl had practically begged him to after dinner and as they went outside, he'd given Michonne a little smile to let her know that he was going to do what she'd suggested earlier. From the way they were talking and laughing out there, she was sure the conversation had gone just as she'd expected.
"He reminds me so much of his daddy. Big Carl used to go out and play catch with Rick and Jeff after lunch every Sunday. He used to say he had to keep moving so my cooking wouldn't make him useless for the rest of the day." She looked at Loretta who had a wistful smile on her face as she kept drying dishes.
"I get where he was coming from! Everything was so good and I'm so full that I think I'm going to sleep for the entire ride back to Atlanta," she said.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it and thank you for helping me clean up even though you didn't have to," Loretta answered.
"I wanted to help. I also thought that Rick and Carl could use some time to themselves," she explained and Loretta put the plate she was drying down and rested her hand on her hip.
"Honey, you love those boys and both of them love you so don't you ever think you're intruding on their time together," she stated firmly and Michonne was reminded of the Loretta Grimes no one dreamed of messing with.
"I'll try not to," she said as they both went back to the dishes. There was silence as she stole another place at the boys out the window. Watching them made her heart even more full than her stomach. The last few days made her feel like they were a little family and her rational side was having a very hard time with that. It was like before when it was making her second guess falling in love with Rick so fast but now it was focused on how fast she'd been accepted by the people closest to him.
She'd bonded with Carl so easily and was looking forward to spending more time with him playing video games, reading comic books, watching him play baseball, and becoming his friend. Then there was Loretta; the person she'd been so worried about meeting and even that had gone better than she could've imagined. Loretta had introduced her to everyone at church almost proudly; like she was showing her off like her own mother would. Now she was washing dishes with her and the whole thing was making her rational side was to pump the brakes just a little bit. Then, she'd look at her boys out the window or laugh at something Loretta said and her foot would remain firmly on the gas.
"It's hard, isn't it? Trying to remember that you two haven't been together that long while you're in the middle of being carried away by all of it," said Loretta, pulling her out of her head a bit. She was a little surprised that his mother was able to read her so easily, but she just chalked it up to a sixth sense all mothers seemed to have.
"It is. Your son knows how to sweep a girl off her feet," she said.
"He's like his daddy that way. Once Carl had made up his mind about something or someone, that was it. That's how it happened with us, anyway," Loretta said with a nod.
"Sounds like there's a story there…," she nudged, knowing from dinner that it wouldn't take much to get Loretta to tell a story.
The older woman smiled and started putting dishes away.
"Well…I'd known Carl my whole life. I was certainly sweet on him and everybody said he was sweet on me too...but he never said anything and I was too focused on going away to college and getting out of this town to do anything about it. We were good friends though and neither of us dated anyone seriously all through school. I was too strong willed for most of the guys and he rarely took any interest in the plethora of girls interested in him."
"Even Ms. Betty?" She asked cheekily and Loretta rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Especially Betty! I swear she did things that could be considered assault these days! Watch out for that one! Rick looks too much like his daddy for his own good when it comes to her," Loretta laughed and Michonne nodded.
"I've got my eye on her. I knew she wasn't kidding about stealing him away from me yesterday," she said.
"She is something else…anyway…after we graduated, I went to Savannah for college, he stayed here and became a sheriff's deputy, and we just drifted apart like people do when they start living their own lives. Four years later, I came back here with my teaching degree, job offers from schools all over the place, and a writer boyfriend who came from old money in Savannah."
"A writer?" She asked and Loretta nodded. She shut off the water and slid onto one of the barstools at the kitchen island to hear the rest of the story. Loretta followed her lead and sat in the chair next to her before continuing with the story.
"His name was Jackson and he came to visit me one weekend and I showed him off all over town. We hadn't been seeing each other long and he wanted to escalate things which I wasn't ready for…but he was nice. We stopped at the diner and while we were there, Carl walked in to grab some dinner before going to the station…" She stayed quiet as a faraway look washed over Loretta's features and she became lost in the memory of that day. "…I hadn't seen him except in passing in so long and he looked so different in his sheriff's department uniform. He was always so handsome, but…that uniform plus a few years looked so good on him."
"I know what you mean," whispered Michonne, blushing fiercely as the memory of her very similar reaction when she saw Rick in his uniform the first time.
Loretta patted her hand and raised an eyebrow, "Those Grimes men can wear the daylights out of a uniform, can't they?" Her little smirk made Michonne giggle. "Right when he was leaving, our eyes met and I smiled at him but he gave me a scowl like I'd never seen! He was in the middle of storming out of the diner when he stopped, turned around and marched himself right up to my table. Without giving my boyfriend a second glance he said, Now, Loretta Lynn Sterling, you know you're mine, you've always been mine, and you're always gonna be mine so you're gonna have to dump this boyfriend of yours so we can get on with our lives together."
Her mouth fell open as the image of it all played out in her head. "Really?"
"He sure did! No one could ever say he wasn't bold," Loretta confirmed making Michonne need to know what happened next like it was the cure for world hunger. It was like a soap opera you just couldn't stop watching.
"What did your boyfriend say?" She asked, and Loretta just shook her head dismissively.
"Not a thing! He was scared out of his wits! Carl was standing there looking all official and the man had an air about him that let you know he wasn't one to be messed with...he also kept tapping the butt of his gun in the holster so I'm sure that helped inspire Jackson keep his mouth shut," she said.
"So what did you say?" Michonne asked.
"Being the independent woman I've always been, I said, Carl Richard Grimes, you've got a lot of nerve showing up in here and laying claim on me! I am not a piece of land for you to stick your flag in! I belong to no one but myself! Now get on out of here and leave me be!"
"You didn't," she gasped and there was such a fire in Loretta as she recounted it that Michonne could only imagine how it came across 40 years earlier.
"I did and that was the very first time I saw him get all flustered and turn pink," she laughed and Michonne couldn't help but join in. "Carl did apologize to me...and after he left, I ended things with Jackson and sent him back to Savannah...even though I'm pretty sure I was never gonna see him again even if I'd wanted to. Then, I walked over to the station to continue giving Carl a piece of my mind, but I was a sucker because I ended up giving him my heart. We talked all night long and the next day I accepted a job teaching English at the high school. We were married before school started."
It was King County's version of a fairy tale and Michonne loved everything about it. "Did he ever tell you what made him approach you that day?" She asked.
Loretta sighed and put her hand over her heart. "He said he knew I had dreams bigger than King County and he didn't want to get in the way of them...but he loved me his whole life and seeing me sitting with another man made him realize that all of his dreams included me whether it was in King County or anywhere else."
"That's...impossibly romantic."
"That was my Carl...tender only when it came to me and I know for a fact that Rick is the same way. What did he say to get you to go out with him?"
"First he asked me for all of my dances at the wedding and then he said that I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on...and I had a smile that made him forget all the bad things that ever happened to him..."
"Yep. He's just like his daddy and you're a sucker just like I was!" Both women fell into a fit of laughter until Rick appeared in the doorway.
"What are you two in here laughing about?" He asked, an amused look on his face as he leaned against the doorframe.
Loretta waved him off, "Oh, just girl talk…where's Carl?"
"He's getting washed up. We're going to have to hit the road soon," he explained and Michonne looked at her watch to find that he was right. The day was almost gone which meant their perfect weekend was almost over too.
"I almost forgot to tell you, Rick. Jeff is coming home for a visit next month," Loretta announced before turning back to Michonne. "Jeff is Rick's baby brother."
Rick did a terrible job keeping his annoyance at that news off his face.
"Mama, don't give him any money," he stated and his mother frowned.
"Lord, you sound just like your daddy…," she said, but Rick didn't let that be the end of it.
"Dad was right! You know I love Jeff but he's good at hustling you. Even when we were kids he'd figure out ways to get an extra dollar or two out of you," he said; his admonishment coming as a bit of a surprise to both ladies in the room. Apparently, there was something going on between Rick and his brother.
"That's not...ok. Maybe I am a little soft when it comes to Jeff but if he needs it and I have it, I'm going to give it to him. I'd do the same for you and Carl," Loretta stated, her voice firm and letting them all know that was the end of it.
"I'm sorry, mama, but…," she held up her hand and halted his words.
"No more of that. He says he has a surprise for us and he hasn't been home since…so you be nice when he gets here." The skeptical look on Rick's face at the word "surprise" was almost priceless.
"I will but he better be nice too…," Rick began, but Carl running into the room talking about how he and his dad were going to a baseball game that summer, effectively ending that conversation. Not long afterwards, Rick reminded them all that they had to go and she watched as Loretta loving said goodbye to both of her boys before approaching her.
"I'm glad I was able to get to know you a little bit this weekend, Michonne. I'm looking forward to getting to know you even more," smiled Loretta as she pulled her in for a hug. "You take care of yourself, ok honey? It better not be too long before my son brings you around again."
"It won't be. I loved getting to spend time with you too," she replied, returning Loretta's hug with just as much affection. "Thank you for being so welcoming."
Loretta brought her lips up to her ear and whispered, "Thank you for putting a smile on both of my babies' faces again."
XXXXX
They'd made it to Atlanta without much help from either Michonne or Carl. Both of them had passed out cold before they'd even crossed the King County line. He didn't mind though. They were both entirely too cute asleep and at least he didn't have to hear them complain about his horrible taste in music for the entire ride back. He was free to listen to his "old man" music as they called it and Johnny Cash kept him company for the long drive.
After helping Michonne into her house, they were standing outside next to his truck stalling their goodbyes. Knowing he had to get Carl home was the only thing that was making him leave her and the fact that he had a 7am shift the next day was the only thing keeping him from coming right back after dropping Carl off.
"All right, say goodbye to Michonne so we can get you home." Rick smiled at the way Michonne's eyes widened when Carl wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tight.
"Bye, Michonne! Are you gonna come see me play baseball this summer?" Carl asked.
"Nothing could keep me away," she replied, hugging him back with just as much vigor. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks, ok?"
Carl nodded and ran toward the truck, giving her one last wave before climbing inside and Rick laughed to himself. his son and his girlfriend were best friends all of a sudden and if he didn't love them both so much, he'd feel like a third wheel.
"What is it?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he gently pulled her into his arms.
"Nothing…it's been a great weekend, my kid and my mama absolutely love you…I guess I'm just happy," he said.
She draped her arms around his neck and poked her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout. "Me too…even though this is the last time I'm going to see you for two whole weeks."
He pushed aside his growing sadness over having to say goodbye to her and his son for much longer than he wanted to. The last three days had given him a taste of something he definitely wanted more of and his head was swimming with the implications of it all. But he didn't want to ruin their last few minutes together thinking about the decisions he knew he was going to have to make sooner rather than later so instead, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.
"Don't remind me. This weekend with you spoiled me. I'm gonna miss you like crazy."
Her hands slid up his chest and she sighed, "Same here but I'll be back before you know it."
"Have a good time in Florida with your family and I'll see you when you get back," he whispered; the lure of her soft, pink lips becoming too maddening to ignore. He tilted his head and softly captured her mouth with his. Reminding himself that his 10 year old son was sitting less than 6 feet away, he kept the kiss as chaste as he possibly could and it was probably one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He started to pull away, but her lips followed him; unwilling to let that be the end of it.
So he kissed her a little longer, savoring the luxurious feel of her soft body in his arms and the warmth of her mouth so he could write it in his memories for use while she was away.
They finally released each other, and he slowly backed away; his eyes never leaving hers.
"I love you, Michonne. I'll call you later...," he said. She smiled and gently rubbed the three day stubble on his face. He sighed and leaned his cheek into her palm.
"I love you too…and sooner is better," she said.
After another few seconds of just memorizing everything about her face, he reluctantly let her go and went to join Carl in the truck and as he pulled away, she blew him a kiss in the rear view mirror before going inside her house.
Carl talked non-stop for the entire ride from Michonne's house to Lori's. Rick just laughed and listened as Carl gushed about the weekend, most of his highlights including Michonne. He was glad that his son and his girlfriend had bonded so thoroughly even though there was a part of him that was concerned about how upset Carl would be if things with Michonne didn't work out. He had absolutely no reason to believe they wouldn't, so he hurriedly pushed those thoughts away and replaced them with thoughts of spending more time with both of the people he loved.
Carl was talking about how excited he was to play baseball that summer when they pulled up to the house Lori shared with her fiancé and the sadness over having to send his son back to his mother washed over him just like it always did and he wasn't able to push it away. He usually sat in the truck and watched as Carl ran up to the house but that night, based on the amount of extra bags his son had to carry, he decided to walk him to the door.
Lori was standing out on the porch waiting for them, her dark hair back in a ponytail with her hands resting on her very pregnant belly. There was a time when seeing her like that would've made him wistful for the life he thought he had for a very long time, but those days were gone. He wasn't going to waste another second of his life dwelling on what he lost, when it was so much more fulfilling to focus on what he'd found.
He followed Carl up on the porch just long enough to drop his bags off and watched quietly as he hugged his mother.
"Hi, mom," Carl exclaimed and Lori smiled and brushed his hair out of his face.
"Hey baby! I missed you. Did you have fun with your dad?" She asked and Carl nodded emphatically.
"I did! The strawberry festival was so awesome! I ate strawberry everything!" Lori laughed and squeezed her son's shoulder before looking up and meeting his eye.
"That's good! How about you say good night to your dad and go up to your room so I can talk to him for a minute." Her eyes never left him as she spoke and he sighed to himself, knowing he wasn't going to get out of there without a conversation.
Carl ran over and gave him a quick hug.
"Good night, Dad," he said.
"Good night, Carl. I love you," he declared, kissing the top of his son's head.
"Love you too," Carl yelled, as he ran past Lori into the house and she pulled the door closed leaving just the two of them standing outside. She folded her arms over her chest and fixed him with a look he knew very well. Those furrowed brows, that frown…he'd seen it quite a bit during their marriage. Not only was it going to be a conversation, it was going to be a bad one.
"Go on, Lori. Say whatever you've got on your mind," he sighed, not really in the mood for any kind of discussion with her. Especially since he knew what it was about. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that every friend she had left in King County had either called or texted her as soon as they saw him with Michonne and if they hadn't, he was certain her mama did.
"Can you please talk to your mother about the way she's treating my mom? Loretta has turned half the ladies in town against her and it's not right."
"I'll try but you know how my mama is," he said and Lori rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Yeah, I know...how'd she take you parading some woman around town all weekend…," she began, but his suspicions being confirmed, he cut her off with a sharp shake of his head.
"That's not your concern. Good night, Lori," he said, turning around and stepping off the porch. All he had to do was make to the truck and then he'd be free. They hadn't fought in a long time and he could tell that this conversation was shaping up to turn into one. While he'd expected Lori to ask about Michonne, he hadn't expected her to be ready to fight about her.
"It is my concern if you're going to have some woman around my son," she snapped and it stopped him in his tracks. That voice in his head told him to keep walking but she knew exactly how to get under his skin.
He turned around and glared at her. "He's our son and you obviously weren't thinking about that when you shacked up with Phillip."
"Phillip has nothing to do with this…," she said.
"Of course he doesn't," he chuckled.
"This isn't funny! You can't just walk away from this, Rick! I have a right to know about the person you're letting spend time with Carl," she spat and it made his anger rise a little more.
He exhaled deeply and decided to tell her something not so she would leave him alone, but hopefully so she wouldn't resort to hounding Carl about it.
"Her name is Michonne, she's my girlfriend and other than that, it sounds like you already know everything you need to know," he said.
"Your girlfriend? You can't be serious…you've only known her a month and you're letting her spend the night in the same house as our ten year old son," she scoffed and her hypocrisy made the his anger start to boil over.
"Wait…you're lecturing me about setting a good example for Carl? Even you have to see how completely ridiculous that is," he said and he didn't even try to keep the sarcasm out of his tone. Her eyes narrowed and she defensively folded her ams over her chest.
"You're never going to stop throwing that in my face, are you?" She asked.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He'd been in such a good mood and he wasn't about to let Lori ruin it.
"Look, I don't want to argue with you and I've got a long drive back home. So I'm gonna go now and I'll see you in two weeks when I get Carl for the summer," he said, doing everything he could to control his tone as he continued toward his truck.
"This conversation isn't over, Rick…," Lori warned but he didn't let it stop his progress. Moments like that made him wonder what he'd ever seen in his ex-wife in the first place.
"Yeah it is," he said, waving his hand at her as he kept walking away. He heard the door slam behind him and he rolled his shoulders trying to let go of the tension Lori had thrown on him.
He climbed inside his truck and noticed his phone blinking in the cup holder. There was a new voice message from Michonne and he immediately listened to it
Rick…it's only been 40 minutes and I miss you already. I realized I forgot to tell you to be safe this week and there's no way I could sleep tonight without saying that. I love you, baby. So much. I'm going to bed now and I'll call you tomorrow, ok? Good night.
Her breathy words made his anger over his interaction with Lori fade away almost instantly. That was the effect she had over him. She was a calming force for him even when they weren't together. He made sure to save the message for those times when he just needed to hear her voice and he couldn't just call her.
She'd said she was going to bed so he opened his texts and quickly typed out a message.
I always am. Good night gorgeous and I love you too.
XXXXX
So you met Lori, got to know Rick's family a little more, and his brother is coming to town. I wonder what his "surprise " is? As always, thanks for reading and I'd love to hear from you all. I'll do my best to not have such a long delay next time. And we get to meet Michonne's family next. Even though Rick won't be there, I'm sure he'll be the topic of conversation...