Richonne (Short Love Stories) In Name Only Part IV (Chapter 36)
Michonne and Rick sit quietly in her parents' living room area, awaiting a reaction to the news of their marriage. The former is nervous as she looks at her mother cautiously. What she sees causes her to gasp as Ms. Mae covers her mouth allowing tears to fall down her cheeks.
"Mom, it's ok. Why are you crying?"
"I just can't believe you did this without us," Ms. Mae relays.
Walter pats his wife's thigh affectionately as he eyes Rick suspiciously. "What was the rush? Y'all got something else to tell us?"
Rick shakes his head as Michonne asks, "Something else? Like what?"
"Like me and your mama are about to be grandparents? You're pregnant, right? That's why this trip to Sin City and the quickie wedding?" Walter asks.
Michonne gasps as she looks to Rick for back up. "No, Daddy. I'm not pregnant." She jumps as Rick reaches over to cover one of her hands with one of his.
"We just fell for each other…plain and simple," he tells her parents.
Michonne smiles. "Right."
Ms. Mae sniffles. "Well, I always knew there was something between you two. I just thought we'd get to actually plan something and have a church wedding whenever you decided to settle down. I feel cheated somehow."
"That's what my mom said," Rick supplies.
"Smart woman. I like her already," Ms. Mae returns. She stands from her chair, walks over to Rick, and gives him a hug. "I'm glad it's you. Now, come on into the kitchen so I can feed you. How long are y'all staying?"
"Oh, just for the night. We're going to get a room at the Stanford and…." Michonne trails off as her mother turns to glare at her.
"A room?" She smiles knowingly. "You and Rick are gonna stay right here in your old room. Me and your daddy know what goes on between married folks." She laughs as her daughter and her new son-in-law try not to blush.
Walter stands and claps Rick on the back. "Welcome to the family, son."
Later that night, Rick is rummaging through Michonne's old room, taking his time looking at high school pictures, stuffed animals, and the like as he never got to do this so thoroughly on his other visits with her and her parents.
"So where are all of your little diaries? I know you kept one so don't deny it," he turns to face her as she is lounging on her bed thumbing through a fashion magazine.
"Aren't you nosy tonight and why would I just allow you to read a diary of mine?" She smiles as he plops down next to her.
"You're all grown up now so that stuff should be nothing for you to share with me. I am your husband, you know. We shouldn't have any secrets between us."
She laughs and shakes her head. "What are you searching for Rick Grimes?"
He shrugs. "I don't know." He looks around slowly. "Did you ever sneak any guys in here?"
"Ummm….no. My parents would've killed me," Michonne offers.
"So you're telling me I'm the first guy to ever be allowed in this bed with you?"
"Aside from a cousin or two when I was 5 or 6…..yes," she answers.
He smiles widely as he places a hand at her hip and pulls her to him, planting his lips on hers.
Moments later, they are resting on their backs, side by side, one of her hands entwined with one of his. Rick feels such contentment in that moment that he wishes they could stay like that. He also realizes that she was privy to just about all of his so called relationships but he only had knowledge of Mike. It makes him wonder if there were any other guys in her life. He wants to ask her about it but knows he would have to answer questions as well and isn't ready for that conversation.
The next morning, Rick politely asks his father-in-law about their plans for Thanksgiving, relaying his mother's desire to meet them. Much to Michonne's surprise, her parents agree to forego visiting her mother's sister to come to Atlanta and spend the holiday with them and Rick's family.
Thanksgiving was celebrated seamlessly at Rick's parents' house. The parents met and appeared to hit it off perfectly. Michonne remembered some close family relations and also got to meet some distant ones as well. What she didn't expect was one of Rick's cousins inviting a close friend of hers who also happened to be someone Rick used to date. Other than that, the family dinner was a good one.
She chooses not to say anything but can't help being bothered by it. Rick doesn't address the issue but is sure to stay close by his wife's side for the entire night.
The following Saturday, Rick is spending time with Daryl and Glenn at Glenn's apartment. They decided to grill some steaks despite the cold weather and take in a basketball game. They're standing outside on the balcony, surrounding the grill and nursing beers.
"So you wanna tell me what's really going on with you and Michonne?" Glenn asks.
"What do you mean?" Rick returns.
"I think you better leave that alone, Glenn. You might hear something you didn't expect," Daryl warns.
"Like what? You planning on staying married to her or something? I mean, how can you live with her day in and day out and um…not wanna really be her husband?" Glenn cringes as he says the last part but inquiring minds want to know.
"Who says I'm not really her husband?" Rick counters as he takes a sip of his beer.
Glenn's eyes grow big as Daryl scoffs and says, "Get the fuck outta here."
When Rick doesn't attempt to refute anything, Glenn practically jumps up and down with laughter while Daryl tries to hold back an all knowing smile. The latter flips the steaks over on the grill and shakes his head.
"How long has this been going on? I thought this was supposed to be a fake marriage," Glenn contributes.
"This is not a fake marriage. It may not have started out the way it should have, but we're doing great," Rick relays.
"I knew it. That night at the restaurant when she was talking to that dude and you got all jealous and shit…I knew then you were on your way to being sprung," Daryl remembers.
Rick laughs. "Sprung, whipped….whatever you wanna call it, I'm there."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Glenn inquires. "You're in love with Michonne?"
"Now, hold on. Let's not get too hasty." Rick scratches his head, not really wanting to contemplate what he is truly feeling for his wife. He quickly changes the subject with "You're all in my business. What about you and Maggie?" He looks to Daryl. "What about you and Sasha?"
Daryl frowns. "I knew it. Michonne told you, didn't she?"
Rick raises his eyebrows at Daryl's question. "Michonne hasn't told me anything about you and Sasha, but you just did."
"Wait. Daryl, you're getting with Sasha and Rick is getting with Michonne? What just happened to our little friends circle?" Glenn wants to know.
Two weeks later, Rick surprises Michonne with an early Christmas gift. They are traveling to the mountains to spend a long weekend in a secluded log cabin. A friend of his parents owns it and allowed Rick to stay there. He unloads their luggage and supplies while Michonne curiously takes a tour of the cabin.
She is more than pleased with the quaintness and coziness of the cabin as she makes her way to the covered porch area in the back of the structure overlooking a lake. She wraps her arms around herself to stave off the cold and gazes out over the peaceful looking water. She smiles as her husband walks up behind her and envelopes her in a warm embrace.
He nuzzles the back of her neck softly. "You cold?"
"Just a bit," she answers.
"I'll get a fire going. You coming inside?" With her nod, he takes her hand as they walk in together.
Later that night, after a nice dinner of roasted duck and garden salads, they are sitting in front of the fire enjoying some wine.
Rick almost hates to bring up this subject now but for some reason he can't shake it and he just wants to know about the guys she has dated in the past. He actually talked to his dad of all people about it and he was the one to make the suggestion of them going away and having this conversation in a neutral place so to speak. He doesn't even know why this is an issue for him.
"Can I ask you something?"
Michonne nods. "Anything?"
"Am I the first white guy you've dated?"
She looks to her husband as that wasn't the question she was expecting. "As a matter of fact, no. I dated a guy in law school before Mike."
"In law school? Do I know him?"
"Ummm…why are you asking me this? Does any of that matter now?"
"I just thought we could talk about our pasts just this once and we never have to talk about it again," Rick offers.
"Ok, it was Jonah from our study group," Michonne supplies.
"Jonah?" Rick frowns as he tries to remember. Once it dawns on him who she is talking about, he asks, "You slept with him?"
"I never said I slept with him. I said we dated. You're the only one who has a problem keeping it in his pants." She lifts herself from the floor and moves over to the sofa.
Rick follows her, placing his glass of wine on the coffee table. "Maybe I deserve that comment, but I didn't sleep with every girl you saw me with, you know."
"Just tell me how many more can I expect to pop up out of the woodwork? Does your cousin have more friends that you just happened to have dated?"
"Michonne, I just want to make a fresh start with you if that's possible and if it means anything, I never cheated on Lori and you're the first woman I've been with in over a year. I trust you and I hope you trust me. I just realized that I didn't know about other guys in your life and it made me curious. That's all."
"So if we have this conversation, it's just this once and we leave the past in the past?"
Rick nods, hoping they can get this out in the open and move on from it. They do just that as his curiosity is satisfied about her past relationships and she is put at ease realizing that her husband wasn't as promiscuous as she originally thought. They end the night in each other's arms both content in the knowledge that they are willing to move into their future together.
Present Day
Rick is at a loss for words as he watches Michonne march up the stairs to her room and close the door quietly. She just told him that she will be leaving for a business trip later that week. He can't help but think of the convenience of this so called business trip and wonders if it's her way of softening the blow of her decision to leave him.
He finds himself in front of her door, knocking softly. The door opens and he steps in quietly. He watches as she sits down on her bed, facing him. "I don't want you to go. I think you should stay so we can talk about this and work this out."
"I need….I need this break right now. I just need to step away from all of this and give this marriage a lot of thought." She looks up at him. "Have we been fooling ourselves into thinking this was going to work? We got married for the wrong reasons, Rick and to even think about bringing a baby into this….it just feels wrong. We wouldn't be having a baby because we love each other. We'd be having a baby to ensure our financial future and I can't do that."
"I thought you said you wanted to think about it. Sounds like you've already made a decision." His heart rate increases at the thought of losing her.
"Please. Just give me a week and then we'll make a decision," Michonne requests.
A week turns into two as Michonne traveled from Miami, FL where the conference was held to Columbus, GA to her parents' house. She just didn't want to face Rick. She knew she would disappoint him with the answer she arrived at and wanted to prolong it as long as possible. Her parents knew something was off but they didn't press her. She was sure to text Rick to let him know where she was and also to request that he give her more time.
Rick is beside himself with worry but respects her wishes. He wants to give her the time and space she needs but can't help the slight panic he feels at losing her. He realizes above all that he is in love with his wife and he prays he can convince her not to walk away from him.
Week three arrives and Michonne returns to Atlanta only to go straight to her apartment. She spends the day thoroughly cleaning the place, fully expecting to move back in and soon. She is in the bathroom, hovering over the toilet as she became violently ill moments earlier. She finds herself in bed and in and out of sleep as the nauseous continues to rove through her.
The next day, she meets Rick for dinner. She can tell he is caught between anger at not knowing she was back home and relief that he is seeing her after so long.
He hugs her and whispers, "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," she returns.
"I'm having a problem believing that," Rick admits.
"I'm sorry things haven't been ideal between us the last couple of weeks, but we can't keep treating this like it doesn't mean anything." She sighs. "Sometimes I wonder why we even did this. Is the money that important?"
"No, it's not and if I need to let it go in order to keep my marriage, then that's what I'm willing to do. I'll give it all up, Michonne….for you….for us. I don't want the money without you in my life."
"I can't ask you to do that. It's your inheritance. Hopefully, you can talk to your parents and they can see a way out of the latest clause for you but I can't and I won't bring a child into this." After a slight pause, she says, "I'll pay you back whatever I can as far as the practice and my student loans, but I think we should end the marriage."
"Just like that? It's over?" Rick asks.
"This was more than I bargained for, Rick. Can't you see that?" Michonne implores.
"I see that I care about you more than you care about me," he returns angrily.
"You know that's not true. I….." she stops as he lifts himself from his chair abruptly.
"Save it. I've heard enough."
Michonne can only watch as Rick walks away.
They both fall back into the routine of their everyday lives. Surprisingly, they continue to talk but only by phone and once the silence grows awkward because they refuse to talk about what they should, they end the conversation.
She remains at her apartment but has yet to remove any of her items from Rick's house. Maggie and Sasha are beside themselves with worry, telling Michonne she is making a mistake by letting Rick go and that they can work out whatever is going on. Her friends' words flit through her mind as she experiences yet another sleepless night, wishing she was laying in the loving arms of her husband.
More time passes and Michonne finds herself at the university where Rick works. She finds him outdoors in the park seated solo on a bench reading.
"Hi."
He looks up at her with surprise, then smiles as he stands and moves toward her to give her a hug. She returns the embrace and inhales his scent as she realizes just how much she has missed him.
"You look great," he compliments.
"Thank you. It's really nice to see you again. I hate to just show up like this, but….can we talk?"
Rick looks to her with concern. "Something wrong?"
Michonne nods. "I guess you could say that. I just don't know where to start."
He pulls her toward the bench where they both take a seat. "If this is about the divorce…."
She shakes her head. "I haven't filed the papers yet because I made a mistake, Rick. I know that now and I hope you can forgive me because I really need you. I'm sorry I was so quick to walk away and I'll understand if you choose to leave things as they are, I just…..everything's happening at the wrong time."
"What are you trying to tell me?"
"I'm trying to tell you that I do care about you. I'm trying to tell you that I've missed you more than I ever thought I could miss someone. I'm trying to tell you that I still want the late nights and early mornings in your arms. I'm trying to tell you that I still want your kisses before I go to work every morning. I'm trying to tell you that I want my best friend, my lover, my husband. I'm trying to tell you that I do want a life with you because I'm in love with you."
She watches as a smile forms on her husband's handsome face, his eyes growing lighter.
"Well, it took you long enough to catch on. I've been in love with you for months now and I've been praying every day by some miracle you'd learn to love me too. Can we please put all the nonsense behind us and just be happy and married and in love?"
She nods as her vision blurs with fresh tears. "I'd like that very much, but I have something else to tell you."
He moves in to place a soft kiss to her lips. "It can wait. Let's go home and celebrate."
"This really can't wait, Rick."
"Ok. Whatever it is, the answer is yes."
"I'm pregnant."
Her husband blinks several times before looking directly into her eyes. "What?"
Michonne swallows nervously. "I'm…."
Rick waves his hands to stop her. "I heard you. Are you sure?"
"I just came from the doctor's office," she shares.
She jumps as Rick lets out an excited yelp followed by boisterous laughter. "Rick?"
"Oh babe. Don't you see? All of this was meant to happen. It was never about the fucking money or the inheritance. We're supposed to be together. You had to get pregnant before we even found out about the pregnancy clause, right?"
Michonne thinks back and realizes that he may have a point. She nods as she calculates the time of events. "So you're happy then?"
"More than you'll ever know."
Epilogue: A month later, Rick and Michonne had a traditional church wedding with both of their families present. Michonne was able to resign from her government job and start her practice full time. One month before the baby was born, Rick resigned from the university and opted to be a stay at home dad for the next year. Maggie and Glenn moved in together while Sasha and Daryl became engaged. On the exact due date, Michonne gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Only a matter of days later, Rick Grimes received his full inheritance.