and to know what's real
Clementine walked Beth to the apartment building after they said goodbye to Rosita, Tara, and Enid and parted ways. Clem spent the majority of the walk venting about her parents and their crumbling marriage and her indecisiveness about a plan for the future. Beth was grateful that Daryl didn't come up, and tried to offer encouraging and comforting words for Clem's situation. But in the back of her head, she was still fretting over what the girls had said at lunch. Combined with the way Tobin had looked at her during class and the startling article by Jenny Jones, there was a heavy ball of anxiety building in her gut. She checked her phone a couple of times but Daryl hadn't sent her another text message.
Beth and Clem said goodbye shortly before three-thirty, when they approached the front of the apartment building. Beth entered the front doors and crossed the empty lobby, climbing the three flights of stairs fairly quickly. When she reached the landing, she began to hear faint voices. As she stepped lightly down the hallway, approaching the door to apartment 3A, the voices became clearer, and then she recognized them.
The door to apartment 3B was shut and there was no one else in the hallway, but she could see that the door to 3A was open ajar and it sounded like Daryl and Carol were talking just behind the front door. Their voices were hushed, but the hall and apartment were silent, making their words clear from a few feet away. Beth stopped in her tracks about a dozen steps back from the door, her feet making no sound on the floor, and stood close to the wall, out of sight from the doorway. She couldn't see them either, but she could hear them clearly.
Beth knew she shouldn't have stood there and eavesdropped – it was wrong. But old habits die hard.
"…look, all I'm saying is that you need t'be careful," Carol said. "I know you care about her, I know there's somethin' going on between you two, but she has a lot goin' on right now. There are things you couldn't understand – "
"What – like the abortion?" Daryl interrupted, his voice a low growl.
Beth's breath caught in her throat and her hand went to her mouth, holding in any sounds that might've wanted to escape her mouth.
They're talking about me? She thought, frozen in place. Fuck, this can't be good…
"She told you?" Carol asked, sounding a little surprised.
"I ain't blind, I put two-an'-two together an' figured out she was pregnant," he muttered. "I asked her if she needed help an' she told me you already helped her."
"She came to the final decision on her own, all I did was lay out the options for her and give her resources," Carol said.
"I know that – ain't none a my business," Daryl said. "But that means she came an' talked t'you. What else did she tell you?"
Beth swallowed past a growing knot in her throat, listening intently.
"That she was pregnant and needed help," Carol said plainly, voice still lowered. "It's what she didn't say that has me worried..."
There was a pause and Beth braced herself to turn and run, or try to hide, in case Daryl was about to storm out into the hall. But there was no sound of movement.
Then she heard his voice again, still a low growl, "The hell's that s'posed ta mean?"
Yeah, Beth thought, her brow furrowed. What is that supposed to mean?
Carol sighed audibly, and there was a brief pause. Then she said, "I know you've noticed it – how scared she is that her superhuman of an ex-boyfriend is going to track her down thousands of miles away. She's still so paranoid that she wears colored contacts out in public and looks around for cameras, like he's just gonna appear and snatch her up, like – he's gonna somehow track her down through all this… She's got some serious shit going on in her head right now, and in her life, and whatever she got away from has left some really… permanent damage. And I just don't think that – "
"Alright, an' she'll talk about it when she feels like it – she don't need you tryin' ta shrink her head," Daryl's voice cut in. "Whatever she's gotta do ta make herself feel safer ain't nobody else's concern."
Shit, she does notice more than she lets on, Beth thought. I have to be more careful…
"I'm not trying to shrink anyone's head, Daryl, don't act like that," Carol said, her voice growing a little more irritated. "I just think there's a lotta things she's not telling us… I'm right about this and you know it, and you haven't denied that there's somethin' going on with you two – "
"Since when the fuck is that part a my life any a yer business?" He growled, and Beth could hear the bitten-back anger in his tone.
But Carol's voice didn't waiver. In fact, it rose just the slightest bit. "Since it affects your son – who I love like my own child. You two are my family, and I want to protect you. Don't you see that? It's not just a flirtation or-or a kiss – this girl is living in your home, Mal's growing attached to her. I've never seen you so quick to warm to someone like this…"
Jesus, why does everyone keep saying that? How long have they actually known him? Beth thought, her brow furrowed as she listened.
"It ain't nothin' serious right now, it's jus' – we ain't doin' nothin' wrong," Daryl argued, anger building in his voice. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you'd like ta think… Rosie either, fer that matter."
There was a brief silence. Beth's heart was thumping so hard against her chest that she was afraid they would hear it.
He's defending me? She thought. He's defending me… us…
"You're right, that part of your life is none of my business. You might not be doing anything wrong, but what happens when you end up sleeping together? Sharing a bed? You can't hide it from Mal for long, he'll pick up on it," Carol said, voice lowered again. "And then when she leaves? Maybe it can just be sex for you, but that kid's gonna get confused, and hurt… And so are you."
Daryl scoffed. Beth was thankful that Carol hadn't figured out that they were already sleeping together – quite literally.
"You think I don't know you like that, Daryl, but you forget how much time we've spent together and how much you've told me," Carol continued. "Rosie told me some things about herself, too. And all it showed me was that you're both hurt, and on a rocky road ta healing, an' if this living situation, or whatever it is, doesn't work out – you could both come out seriously scarred from it… You've both been to that bottom. D'you really wanna open yourselves up for it again?"
I guess she's got a point, but what does she think I'm even capable of? Beth thought in frustration. Daryl is his own man, he doesn't need anyone else. Let alone me. And if I get hurt – well, that's what I deserve.
"She's stronger than she thinks, no matter what she's told you," Daryl said, his voice low and rumbling again. "An' you ain't my mommy, or Mal's, so I'd suggest ya stop actin' like ya are an' worry about yer own goddamn private life."
Beth's heart skipped. Her eyes were wide as she listened, and the knot in her throat had grown larger.
Carol had begun to say something else but the sound of her voice was interrupted by the sound of the door to 3B opening. Beth whipped her head around and saw Tobin stepping out into the hall, his eyes immediately drawn to where she was standing. Without another thought, Beth stepped forward, trying her hardest to appear as though she'd just been walking up at the same time that Tobin had been opening the door.
"Oh – hey there," he greeted with a warm smile, closing the door behind him and pausing.
"Hey," Beth greeted quietly, briefly waving as she stopped at the door to 3A, taking a step back and pretending she'd just realized that it was open. She paused and peered inside, meeting Daryl's eyes and seeing the anger on his face. Then she saw Carol, who was opening the door wider and stepping out into the hall, finding herself coming face-to-face with Beth and giving her a look of surprise.
Carol paused in the doorway, in front of Beth, and started, "Oh – "
"Carol, you ready, hun?" Tobin called from where he stood by the door to 3B.
Carol looked across the hall to see Tobin and smiled stiffly, then looked back at Beth for a second and nodded in acknowledgment before stepping around her and crossing to the hallway. Beth nodded back but didn't say anything. She could've sworn she saw the lightest tint of pink appearing in Carol's cheeks.
Beth turned her head to watch the older woman join Tobin and follow him inside apartment 3B, shutting the door behind them. Then she turned back to see Daryl still standing in the same spot, gazing down at his socks and biting his thumbnail thoughtfully. His brow was furrowed and his shoulders were hunched and tense. Beth entered the apartment and quietly shut the door behind her, stopping and gazing at him hesitantly.
"Everythin'… alright?" She asked, but her heart was still racing.
He's gonna realize Carol is probably right and tell me to leave, Beth thought. Maybe it's for the better, though… Maybe it's what I need to give me a kick in the ass and a real reason to get out of the city.
"Yeah, 's fine," he said, straightening up a little and briefly glancing Beth up and down. "You eat already?"
So is he not going to tell me about what Carol said? Beth thought.
She nodded, studying him and trying to figure out what he was thinking. But it was a futile effort. "Yeah, we had lunch at the same place we went to last time. Did you guys eat?"
Daryl nodded and turned away, heading toward the couch and sitting down. Beth watched him curiously as he grabbed the remote and unmuted the TV, keeping the volume low. She hesitated where she stood.
"Where's Mal?" She asked quietly.
"Nappin'," Daryl replied, eyes set on the TV screen.
Beth didn't say anything. She turned and went to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her and changing her clothes after putting away the few things she'd taken with her. Maybe it was because she'd overheard half their conversation or maybe it was just that palpable, but she could feel the tension still hanging in the air.
She made a trip to the bathroom, stopping in the kitchen for a bottle of water, then plopped down on the couch, leaving a couple of cushions' worth of space between her and Daryl. He was still watching TV, but she could see him chewing on his bottom lip and thinking. He glanced at her but didn't say anything, so she looked to the TV and watched idly in silence.
After a couple of minutes, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through news articles, mostly to have something to keep her hands busy. There wasn't anything new pertaining to her and all the headlines seemed fairly boring today, but it kept her distracted from the heavy silence between her and Daryl. She decided it was better to leave him be and eventually, if he wanted to talk, he would. It was obvious to her that he was more dismayed than he was letting on, but she pretended to be oblivious. And finding out that she'd eavesdropped would only upset him more.
"What d'you wanna do fer supper?"
Daryl's low voice startled her and she looked up from her phone screen, lowering it to meet his eyes. He was looking over at her from where he sat a few feet away.
Beth shrugged. "Hadn't thought about it yet. What were you thinkin'?"
He looked back to the TV screen and sighed. "I dunno… Think Mal said somethin' about wantin' green beans. But I don't think I got any."
"Oh," she said quietly, watching him and unsure of what else to say. He certainly sounded calmer, but she knew his conversation with Carol was probably still nagging at the back of his mind.
Daryl stared thoughtfully at the TV screen and Beth could tell he wasn't really watching. Her eyes drifted back down to the phone in her hands, a few more moments of silence passing.
"You feelin' alright? Didn't go too hard in class, did ya?" He asked, and she looked up to meet his eyes again. "Or afterwards…?"
She shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile, tucking her phone away. "No, I'm fine – an' I didn't do anything afterwards except eat. So…"
He nodded and said, "I – uh – was gonna see if ya wanted ta come have lunch at the park with us today." He was speaking hesitantly, quietly. "Not that it matters. Jus'…"
The guilt formed almost immediately in her stomach. She looked at him apologetically and said, "I didn't know – I'm sorry. Rosita an' everybody invited me to lunch with them at the beginning of class – did you guys go?"
He nodded. "Yeah, with Carol an' all them. That Tobin guy an' his kid."
Daryl didn't sound like he was upset or trying to guilt her for not coming along with them, but Beth still felt bad. She thought he might've been trying to hide his disappointment that she hadn't been there.
"How was it?" She asked.
He shrugged, briefly glancing at the TV screen. "It was cool. Mal had a blast."
She lifted an eyebrow. "And what d'you think of Tobin?"
Another shrug. "Seems cool. Carol likes him an' his kid ain't terrible, 's all that matters."
Beth nodded. "Yeah, he seems nice. Maybe I can go next time."
The faintest smile tugged at the corner of Daryl's lips and he mumbled, "Yeah, next time."
She watched him glance down at his hands for a moment, then back to her. He still seemed to be contemplating something.
The thoughtful expression didn't leave his face as he gazed into her eyes and hesitantly said, "I think people're startin' ta catch on…"
Beth furrowed her brow and for a split-second, there was a pulse of fear in her chest. She asked quietly, "Catch on ta what?"
Daryl raised his eyebrows briefly and gave her a meaningful look. "To… us…"
Her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed hard, cheeks growing warm. "Oh… yeah, I – I know."
He didn't have to study her face for long before he concluded, "Them too, huh?"
Beth nodded, pursing her lips. To her relief, he didn't seem upset or even really surprised. She spoke quietly, "That's… why I left with 'em. I think they kinda saw some stuff during class an'… I dunno. I didn't wanna make it too obvious. But…"
"So what'd they say?" Daryl asked softly, his eyes urging her to go on.
She shrugged and glanced away for a second, thinking back on her awkward moment in the spotlight at lunch. "Uh – not much. They just… can't seem to believe it, I guess? I didn't know if you wanted anyone t'know, so – "
"Ain't really anybody's business, but it ain't a secret," He interrupted her, furrowing his brow. He paused, then asked uncertainly, "Is it…?"
Beth couldn't help but feel guilty as she gazed back into his eyes and saw the ambiguity there. She shook her head slowly and said, "Not really..."
Daryl appeared slightly relieved, then asked, "Why couldn't they believe it? They think I'm gay or somethin'?"
She chuckled softly and he half-smiled in reaction. Beth shook her head. "No, I – well, I dunno really. I guess they jus' think you're really… careful about… who you let into your life. An' we've only known each other like, less than three weeks…"
He furrowed his brow, looking at her incredulously. "Yeah, so?"
She shrugged, cheeks growing warm again. "Well, you know how they are… somethin' about, um… rebounding, I guess…"
Daryl grunted and chewed his bottom lip, watching Beth thoughtfully. She licked her lips and glanced away briefly.
"Rebound, huh?" He rumbled, still studying her.
She nodded and met his eyes hesitantly. "I didn't… tell 'em anything about us, though…"
He furrowed his brow and it wasn't the reaction she'd been hoping for, or expecting. She couldn't figure out what was going on in his head during the long pause, until he asked, "What – you ashamed of it? Of me?"
Beth paused and studied his face, assuring herself he was serious. There was a shadow of disillusionment in his eyes as he waited for her response, and she shook her head, giving him an incredulous look. "What? No, of course not."
Daryl's expression relaxed a little and he asked, "Then why's it matter?"
She shrugged. "I dunno – it doesn't, I guess. I jus'… You said you ain't got friends. So if they're not your friends, I didn't think you'd want them knowin'…"
He grunted, like a lazy chuckle. "Ain't my friends – they're family. Don't mean I always care what they think, but I ain't got nothin' ta hide from 'em."
Beth swallowed but didn't look away from his eyes. She nodded slowly and said quietly, "Me either."
A lie. But she couldn't think about that right now.
He raised his eyebrows, looking at her expectantly. He glanced down at his lap for a moment, then back up to her eyes. Then he asked, "That what it is, then? A rebound thing?"
She hesitated, though she'd tried not to. Her voice almost cracked. "I don't think so..."
Daryl watched her, studying her face long after the words had left her mouth. His eyes slowly softened and he said quietly, "Me either."
Beth smiled weakly and he returned it, then glanced over his shoulder toward the hallway. She watched him quizzically at first, quickly realizing that he was checking for signs of Malachi before turning back to her and scooting over across the cushions that separated them. Beth's legs were up on the couch, knees close to her chest, and Daryl grabbed her legs and placed them over his lap, relaxing into the cushion next to her. They both seemed to grow more comfortable now that they were close to each other.
He looked ahead at the TV screen, but she could see his mind working behind his eyes, still mulling over something. She could guess what it was, but she didn't want to be the one to address it first. Instead, she watched him as he eventually looked back over at her, his hands resting on her knees.
"Only one I'm worried about findin' out is the kid," He said quietly, watching her face for a reaction.
Beth nodded in understanding and he appeared slightly relieved. "I know… He, um… Carol kinda talked to me about that…"
Daryl furrowed his brow. "She did?"
She nodded again. "Yeah… I'm tryin' ta be careful, but – "
"She ain't got no business talkin' t'you about it – ain't her place," He rumbled. "Knew she would, though… She can be nosey sometimes."
Beth shrugged. "I understand why – she's your family, too."
He looked away from her briefly, contemplation on his face. She watched him, waiting.
He finally met her gaze again and said, "I gotta ask you somethin'."
Her muscles tensed up and she raised her eyebrows. "Yeah?"
Daryl licked his lips and parted them, then hesitated and closed them again. His fingers were fidgeting with a piece of thread on her pant leg. She could see him swallowing and mulling over his words another second, then he opened his mouth and asked, "Can you stay? Jus'… fer a while. Till we can… figure somethin' out."
The words he hadn't spoken were evident on his face, and she could almost hear them from inside his head: "…till we can figure out what we are." Beth swallowed past a painful knot in her throat and she fought back the tears that were threatening to pool in her eyes. She didn't look away from him, his eyes watching her and waiting patiently… hopefully.
It seemed like a simple question, but she knew it meant much more than that – to both of them. She couldn't bring herself to say no, to disappoint him or make him think for another second that she might be ashamed of him. Besides, where else did she have to go? At this point, she was probably safer here than anywhere else. She could still lay low, could still have some semblance of normalcy in her life. But most of all, she'd get more time with Daryl and Malachi.
And when Jesus shows up with your paperwork and tells you to get out of the country… then what? That annoying voice at the back of her mind asked.
We'll figure something out, Beth told herself, taking comfort in Daryl's words, in his certainty when he spoke them.
She nodded and softly replied, "Yeah…"
Daryl half-smiled, obviously relieved. Then he said quietly, "Maybe we wait ta tell Mal fer… a bit."
He didn't explain why but Beth didn't need any reasons. She wasn't sure the two of them were prepared to explain to a three-year-old what their situation meant. If it meant anything. Maybe they weren't even prepared to explain it to each other. She nodded in understanding.
He glanced at her lips then back at her eyes. They gazed at each other thoughtfully for a second, both of them seemingly waiting to see if the other had anything else to say. When neither of them spoke, Daryl leaned in hesitantly and she followed his cue until they were closing the distance between them. She closed her eyes and felt his lips on hers, his stubble on her chin, as they kissed softly.
Maybe somewhere between now and later, I can tell him the truth, she thought as her stomach fluttered and their kiss deepened. Maybe he and Mal can come with me – we can run away together. Or maybe I can stay, somehow, settle down somewhere with them, change my name… I couldn't keep it from him forever, but… Maybe he'd understand why I had to lie, or…
But then that other voice piped in, Or maybe he'll be disgusted and appalled by the fact that you not only lied, but that you're a murderer and your entire family made their living by producing the kind of drugs he left Georgia to get away from… You are everything he was running away from. He wouldn't want anything to do with you, and you'd be lucky if he didn't call the cops on you.
Beth wrapped an arm around Daryl's neck and leaned into him closer, kissed him harder. She shoved away all the nagging voices and incessant thoughts in her head.
We'll figure it out later, she told herself. We'll figure something out.
Malachi awoke from his nap about a half-hour later, barreling down the hallway with newfound energy. It gave Beth and Daryl ample time to pull apart on the couch, and Beth was somewhat grateful because if they'd continued their heavy make-out session any longer, she was going to start getting ideas – even though she had at least another week-and-a-half before she could be acting on those ideas. And judging from the awkward way Daryl resituated himself on the couch when he scooted over, he was fighting off similar urges.
Mal was elated to see "Rosie" and excitedly told her about having lunch at the park. Beth listened intently to his story, asking him about what he'd seen and what he'd thought. She could see Daryl watching them from the corner of her eye, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
The toddler went on and on about Carol and Tobin, asking Daryl at one point if he would be Sophia's new dad. Daryl tried to laugh off the question and gave Mal a mumbled, "I'ono, man." But Beth could see the tiny lines of worry creasing Daryl's forehead. She quickly changed the subject and got Mal on to a whole new story about his day.
It seemed the toddler hadn't forgotten about his desire for green beans, because after several minutes of rambling, he asked what they were having for dinner. Daryl shrugged and looked to Beth, who put up her hands in a clueless expression.
"Let's just – le's go t'the um, the store," Malachi said, his tiny fingers fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he looked from Daryl to Beth and back.
Daryl smirked and glanced over at Beth with raised eyebrows. "Jus' fer green beans, huh?"
Beth shrugged and smiled. "The heart wants what the heart wants."
He chuckled and shook his head. "S'pose it's just down the street… Alright, go get yer shoes on, kid. But we're gettin' somethin' more than just green beans."
Malachi's face lit up with excitement and he rushed off to the bedroom to get his shoes. Daryl stood up from the couch and looked to Beth.
"Wanna come?" He asked casually.
Without a second thought, she smiled and nodded. "Yeah – lemme get some shoes on."
A few minutes later, Daryl, Malachi, and Beth were all heading down the stairs together. Beth had stuffed a couple bills into her pocket on the way out of her bedroom, and Daryl was wearing the angel wings vest over his long-sleeved T-shirt. Malachi had put on his velcro-strapped shoes, shiny pictures of Ant-Man on either side of each shoe.
As they stepped out onto the sidewalk into the late afternoon light of the city, Beth slipped on her sunglasses and walked close to the boys, her arm bumping Daryl's every now and then. He was holding Malachi's hand while they walked, keeping the toddler close as they passed other people and traffic whizzed past them on the street. A bicyclist passed by mere feet away from them at one point, eliciting an excited point and shout from Mal. Beth glanced around at the bustling city that surrounded her and somehow, she felt safe. In a way, it felt like another home. A new home.
Or maybe it was the people she was with.
They only had to walk about a block before they turned the corner and approached a business front to the left. It was a Trader Joe's, its long, horizontal windows in the front displaying a clean inside with plenty of displays for sales. The business front stretched down nearly half the block, situated at the bottom of a much taller building that looked to be full of apartments or offices. There were people walking in and out of the glass front door, and as they approached, Beth realized she wasn't sure what to expect because she'd never been inside this particular chain store.
Daryl opened the door and held it for Beth to walk through, closely followed by Mal and then Daryl. The inside was even larger than it appeared from the outside, stretching out into a vast grocery store with several aisles and shelves stacked full of goods. There was a lot of green everywhere, and Beth noticed that nearly everything was either "natural" or "non-GMO" or some other variant of unprocessed. Malachi almost immediately yanked his dad's hand toward the stack of handbaskets near the front door, and Daryl helped him pull one out and slip the handles over his small arm.
"Think you can handle that kinda responsibility?" Daryl asked as he gestured for the toddler to keep close to him while also focusing on holding the basket.
Mal nodded, looking around with wide eyes and trying to see everything, his head on a constant swivel. "Dad, I can do basket duty."
Beth chuckled, trailing close behind Daryl and Mal. Daryl glanced back at her with a half-smile and rolled his eyes playfully.
She tried to keep her eyes on the boys, but she kept her sunglasses on and searched the ceilings for cameras in her peripherals. Daryl was glancing at her regularly, though, and Carol's words from earlier were still echoing in her head, so she tried to be more discreet. Or maybe she should've tried to be less paranoid. She couldn't really decide at the moment, but she knew Daryl was more observant than he let on, and she didn't want to make him think she was even more damaged, or mentally unstable, than had already been made obvious. Nor did she want him to start having any other doubts – she still didn't know everything Carol had said to him. What if she'd raised red flags for Daryl that Beth hadn't ever thought would be risen?
The trio found their way to the bread aisle while Daryl mumbled something about needing a few things for breakfast in the morning. Beth glanced around curiously, looking at displays and gazing at other shoppers. Everyone seemed to be going about their business, paying Beth no mind. She felt like she blended in a bit better when she was accompanied by the boys – maybe they even looked like a little family to strangers on the street. She found herself content with that thought.
Malachi was the typical toddler inside the store, though he was better behaved than a lot of children Beth had observed in grocery stores. He ran everywhere, full of excitement and questions. He reached out and touched everything he could, especially when his dad's back was turned. And though the handbasket he carried around was nearly half his size, he was determined to keep it balanced and on his arms while Daryl carefully placed bread and peanut butter inside. He nearly ran into a couple other shoppers, his tiny legs carrying him around faster than his eyes could observe. Daryl apologized to the strangers sheepishly and pulled his son in closer while Beth stood close to Daryl's side and watched with amusement.
After a brief visit to the refrigerated wall that held various cartons of eggs, the trio headed to the frozen foods aisle. Daryl found the section that held vegetables and stood in front of the doors, inspecting the display behind the glass with a thoughtful look on his face. Malachi was pacing a few feet away, eyeballing a small ice cream display with wide eyes.
"Well, shit," Daryl mumbled, turning his head and looking to Beth. "Spot fer green beans is empty – wonder if they got any in the back."
Beth shrugged. "Maybe they have fresh ones in the produce department…?"
Daryl paused, then said, "I ain't really tryna' do all that – I'm jus' gonna go ask somebody ta check fer more. I can't be the only one who wants green beans tonight."
"Alright – I think I saw an employee a couple aisles over," Beth suggested.
Daryl nodded and briefly glanced back at Malachi, who was pressing his nose to the glass door and staring longingly at a box of popsicles. The handbasket of groceries was sitting on the floor next to him.
"Think you can keep an eye on him fer a second?" Daryl asked, gesturing to the toddler. "It'll be faster if y'all wait here."
Beth nodded. "Yeah, we'll wait here."
She paused and glanced at Malachi, then lowered her voice and asked Daryl, "Can I get him some ice cream…?"
Daryl smirked. "Sure – no popsicles, though. Most of 'em got those dyes in 'em. An' no citrus – "
"I know," Beth stopped him with a knowing smile, raising her eyebrows. "You told me. I wouldn't forget what he's allergic to."
Daryl seemed a bit taken aback but quickly shrugged it off and nodded. "Alrigh' – be back in a second."
He ruffled Mal's hair and told him to stay put for a minute, then quickly walked off to the end of the aisle and turned the corner in search of an employee. Beth kept her eye on Malachi, watching him wander down the aisle as he gazed through the glass doors at all the frozen foods.
"You wanna pick out some ice cream?" Beth asked cheerfully. "If you eat all your dinner, we can have it for dessert."
Mal's eyes grew wide and he looked at Beth with an excited grin. "Really?! Can – um, can we get pot-sickles?"
"Oh – no, we have ta get ice cream, not popsicles," Beth said, feeling a touch of sympathy for the toddler. His face fell with disappointment so she quickly added, "But we can get any ice cream you want – let's pick one out!"
He quickly smiled again and rushed to a nearby freezer door, grabbing the handle and pulling it open. He grabbed a carton of ice cream and Beth approached him as he turned around to show it to her. She took it from his hands and inspected the label.
"Don't you want chocolate or somethin'?" She asked with a curious smile, turning the carton over in her hands and squinting down at the ingredients list. It was some sort of fruit-flavored ice cream and she wasn't sure if it contained something that Mal would be allergic to. She couldn't quite read through the sunglasses, though, so she slipped them off and rested them atop her head as she continued to read the ice cream's label.
"Um – how um, how about this one?" Mal asked, having already opened another door and reached inside to grab a carton.
As he let the door shut and stepped away to look inside the next door, Beth stepped forward and quickly grabbed it from his hand – another fruit mixture. She turned it over to inspect the label, finding herself with a carton of ice cream in each hand as she struggled to search for allergens in their ingredients. Then she heard the telltale sounds of another customer strolling down the aisle with their cart, just behind her. She remembered the handbasket of groceries sitting on the floor and turned around, spotting an older woman standing a few feet back and gazing at the frozen vegetables while Beth and Daryl's basket of groceries sat just in front of her.
"Oh – I'm sorry," Beth apologized, tucking both ice cream cartons under her arm as she rushed over and grabbed the basket by its handles, lifting it up and sliding it over her free arm.
"No problem," the old woman smiled, watching Beth take the basket out of her way and turn around before stepping closer to the freezer door.
But when Beth turned around, Malachi was gone.
to be continued…
A/N: Ever lost a toddler in a store? That shit's terrifying. Next chapter will have lots of domestic fluff, so I can assure you that you have that to look forward to :D
This chapter and last chapter's titles were taken from the song "Why It Scares Me" by La Dispute & Touche Amore - an absolutely perfectly fitting song to this fic.
Let me know what you thought of this chapter in the reviews and thank you for reading! :)