So life is just full of peaks and valleys. Thanks for sticking with this story. I got really excited about it and fell off a bit. The drama continues for poor Rick, who makes foolish decisions often.

Life went on for Rick Grimes. After Sasha and Abraham's wedding, Rick went back to Atlanta focused on getting his life together so he could finally become a CSI. His family's business had stabilized and his mother's health improved. His relationship with Lori followed his parents expected trajectory- they got married, and had their first kid Carl. Lori's job kept her busy, leaving Rick to provide most of the care for Carl. They moved to a suburb outside of Atlanta to give Carl some semblance of a childhood out of the busy streets of the city. Rick's relationship with Lori went from certain to strained over the seven years of their marriage. After she had Carl, Lori decided that she didn't want any other children. Rick, however felt that being a parent was far more rewarding than anything he'd ever done. He loved Carl more than anything he would often think, and then remind himself of the only other person who made his life feel any semblance of complete.

He had heard that she was doing well over the years from Glenn, who heard from Maggie (of course). After she had left him the morning of Sasha and Abraham's wedding, they barely spoke to one another beyond cordial greetings. He watched her the entire day engage with their friends, her laughter a reminder of how stupid he was for actually thinking he would ever get over her. He would catch the glint of her wedding ring and feel his stomach churn with hatred for this husband of hers- who names their fucking kid Negan anyway? Glenn had told him that Michonne had completed her PhD in four years, a miracle by graduate student standards, and that she was expecting a kid. Rick felt a pang of sadness at the news, but by that time, they had been apart for four years and he assured himself that she was happy without him.

Lori was on another business trip and Rick was waiting to pick up Carl from practice to prepare for his baseball game that weekend. He was working from home when he noticed a notification from Lori's Facebook. He hadn't realized that she was using his laptop since she had two, one for business and another for personal use. Without thinking much of it, he went to log her out, never one to be nozy when he realized it was a picture of his wife with her boss, Philip. They were smiling at one another on a beach somewhere, his arm draped around her waist. Reeling from the shock, Rick scrolled through her messages to discover that Lori and Philip were doing a whole lot of business together, just not of the professional kind. The devastation of realizing that Lori was having an affair with her boss was only made more palpable by the conversation Lori and Philip had about Lori's drafting of divorce papers and her desire to leave Rick and Carl. Rick waited for Lori to come home.

"Hi honey" Lori greeted from the door of their two family house. Rick was sitting on the couch with his laptop open, his fists clenched and tears in his eyes.

"Rick, what's wrong?" Lori asked walking behind the couch to a seated Rick. Glancing down she noticed the picture of her and Philip. "It's not what you think it is." She said.

"So you're not sleeping with your boss and planning to divorce me?" Rick asked flatly.

"Rick… I can explain." she began.

"Lori, get the fuck out of my house." he said, too calmly.

"Rick" she signed, a sense of exasperation.

"Lori. I'm going to say this one more time. Get your shit, and get the fuck out of my house." Rick said suddenly standing up, his jaw clenching as he faced Lori who looked flabbergasted. Her brown hair falling in her face as she looked down, avoiding the storm brewing in his eyes.

"Rick"

Rick turned abruptly and marched upstairs, grabbing her clothes and throwing them down the stairs.

"You lied to me Lori. For years, you lied to me. LEAVE!" he said.

Lori grabbed her bag and walked out the front door.

Rick sat on his bed with his head down, staring at his wedding ring. He thought about Carl and how he would tell him that Lori was leaving. Carl who was seven, who had a normal childhood, have it all ripped away. Rick went down the stairs, collected all of Lori's clothes and threw them in the closet. He called Glenn and Maggie who offered to take Carl for the evening. Rick laid in bed wondering how he had gotten to this point- a 33 year old man whose marriage had dissolved right before his eyes because of Facebook. He felt the faint sounds of his phone vibrating against the bed but ignored the call.

Weeks later Rick and Carl were visiting Rick's parents in King County. His father who had adored Lori took it the worst.

"So you're just gonna give up, after she gave you that son of yours?" His father asked. "There's nothing left."

Rick said "She doesn't want me."

Rick's father said "This has always been your problem Richard. You give up too easily. What about that Michelle girl- gave her up when she decided to up and leave for that school."

"Michonne Dad, her name was and is Michonne."

"Well whatever her name was, you just up and gave up on her now didn't ya."

"Why do you care. You never liked her, always treated her like she didn't deserve to be with me."

"Well, those people aren't good enough for the Grimes name."

"What people Dad? You got everything you wanted from me. I married a snow flower and look what it got me- a devastated son. Anyway, you were so happy to be rid of Michonne."

"I was, but that didn't mean that I wanted my son to not fight for what he wanted."

"You know what Dad, I'm tired. Carl and I are gonna go." Rick and Carl left his grandparents house and headed home. The weeks after Lori's departure all merged together. Rick put on a strong face for Carl and kept it moving. Glenn and Maggie were a big help, even though they had two kids of their own, they were a godsend.

Around the six month mark Rick started to feel almost like his old self again. He had hired a babysitter, Beth, part time to care for Carl and his work life was relatively easy. Checking his mail he received an invitation for Denise and Tara's wedding. He called Daryl, who he hadn't seen in awhile due to his on again/off again relationship with Carol. Rick and Daryl were close, but when Daryl was with Carol he would disappear for months at a time, sometimes even years before resurfacing. This time though, Daryl told Rick it was over for good.

"She's killing my spirit" Daryl said putting his drink down on the porch. Rick and Daryl were sitting outside, enjoying the last days of summer.

"Daryl, y'all have been doing this thang for over ten years, aren't you tried?" Rick asked

"We love each other. But it doesn't mean we are good together." Daryl said. A man of few words but great insight, Daryl would speak your true name and make you feel shame for questioning him.

"Sounds familiar." Rick said. Daryl looked into Ricks eyes and raised his eyebrow that was not covered by his swooping brown trusses.

"You didn't love Lori man. You liked her enough to marry her." Daryl said.

"Doesn't mean it hurts any less that she cheated on me for years. Or that she is leaving Carl." Rick signed, taking a sip of his lukewarm beer.

"Man, you need to be good to that little boy and forget you ever remotely liked Lori. Trust me. Now that Carol and I are officially done, I'm treating Sophia the way she should have been treated, that little girl is the only thing between Carol and me." Daryl said.

Daryl looked at Rick's sad face, he wasn't sure if he should tell him, but thought since Maggie or Glenn would tell him soon enough, he'd do it.

"You know Chonne is back." he said.

Rick's eyes widened. "Wh.. what do you mean Chonne is back?"

"She got some job as a Professor at Morespell or Spelhouse. She's been in Atlanta for six months now." Daryl said.

"Well that's good." Rick said, putting his hand over his ring finger to twirl his wedding band.

"Man, y'all are useless. Chonne and Negan split. He helped her move here and he's back in Chicago. She's going to Denise and Tara's wedding you know." Daryl continued

"Why are you telling me this?" Rick asked Daryl.

"So you don't make the same stupid mistake twice."

"What mistake is that?"

"God Rick yaur dense sometimes. Go find your girl." Daryl said getting up and walking into Rick's house. Rick sat quietly on the porch thinking about the last time he'd seen Michonne at another wedding. God, I hate weddings Rick thought polishing off his beer and walking into his house.