No One Formula for a Family

Early August, 2016

Carol Reynolds glanced at the clock on her desk. She shut down her computer and straightened up her desk at the law office of Graham and Grimes. Andrea came out of her office and stretched, "I'm ready when you are. Is Michonne back from court?"

Michonne came out of her office, "Michonne is ready to go home. It's Friday and stick a fork in me. I'm done."

They were on their way home in less than five minutes. Carol was looking forward to being home and changing into cooler clothes more suited to Virginia's humid summer climate. Michonne was driving because Michonne always wanted to be the driver. Andrea was checking messages on her phone.

"Rick says that he will be home when I get there." Andrea was smiling. "And he is going to be home all next week."

Lost River was soon in their rear view mirror. The rest of the drive was through farmland and forest and soon enough they were at the outer gate. Michonne tapped in the security code and drove through. The gate closed behind them and they traveled through pasture land toward home.

There was a final gate to traverse and then they were home. The Lodge had two large additions to each side. Four large apartments had been added. Two on each side. Major renovations inside had added two apartments and several guest rooms.

The first stop was the nursery which was on the main floor. The front was heavy duty bulletproof glass that opened onto a playground and the large room was floored with interlocking foam mats. The three cribs had been replaced with three Murphy beds for afternoon naps. Carol smiled when she saw that the children were outside on the playground. A retractable awning protecting the children from the harmful rays of the sun. The playground fence with its one lone entry point was strong enough to keep intruders out and three active children in.

Three sets of eyes swiveled toward their mothers. Each toddler began to run to their mothers. Andre was the fastest and he leaped into Michonne's arms a fraction ahead of the others. Judith and Dayton right behind. Andrea cuddled her baby girl while Carol brushed Dayton's hair away from his face and chuckled at how dirty he was.

Maria handed her a wet washcloth, "He's a dirt magnet. I can't keep him clean."

Carol laughed, "Just like his daddy. Never found a mud hole that he didn't like."

Dayton gave her a smile even if she was washing his face. He had her eyes and long arms and legs and his father's smile and strong body. Mostly he looked like Dayton McAllister Reynolds and that was someone separate from either parent. Carol wiped some dirt from Dayton's neck. "Ready to go home?"

Carol put the washcloth down so that she could hug and kiss each child. The greeting ritual. She was "Mi Ama" to Andre and Judith. Andrea was referred to as "Madre" and Michonne was "Mamachita". Spanish words for "mother". She was Dayton's mother but it was understood that Dayton also had Andrea and Michonne as surrogate mothers. Maria and her mother Camila spoke Spanish to the children so that they would grow up bilingual.

Maria Alvarez had been born in Columbia and then immigrated to the United States as a child. She attended Lost River College full time. She was working toward a degree in both chemistry and biology and wanted to be doctor. She and Camila rotated working at the nursery. Her father Pablo and brother Elias worked on the farm. Elias would be a senior at Lost River High School next year hoping to be admitted to Virginia Tech. Daniela Alvarez was fifteen and in the same class as Sophia. They were best friends.

Maria had been Christie's AP American Literature class and it was Christie who had advocated hiring the Alvarez family. Triad Construction had built them a house on the property and the Alvarez family had become part of the Lodge family.

Carol took Dayton home to their apartment on the second floor. The large space had three bedrooms, two baths, open concept kitchen, dining area, and living room. There was a large deck that opened to the back of the property. She and Daryl had agreed to live here for a few years. They had their own space, she could take Dayton to day care without going outside, and they were close to their family. Home was a place where the people you loved lived and Carol loved her extended family.

Carol had grown up with just her mother and father. Then too soon she had Sophia and Ed and no one else. Ed barely let her out of the house to shop and she had no friends. Her house was a prison and Ed the jailer. By some happy twist of fate Carol had ran into a friend from high school one day at the supermarket. Eric. He saw the bruises beneath the carefully applied makeup and he talked to her as they shopped. She went to the grocery store every Thursday and he was there the next week, and the week after that. He never pushed her into anything but when she asked for help he was ready. They picked Sophia up from school that morning and by late afternoon she and Sophia were in a shelter in Atlanta. Eric visited every day, gave her a laptop, and lots of lessons. Eventually she got a job at Atlanta PD and Ed had a rendezvous with an eighteen wheeler. They weren't divorced and the trucking company was glad to settle for enough money to buy a home and send Sophia to college. She had a job, friends, and most importantly Sophia, but she didn't know how lonely she was until she met Daryl.

Daryl was her soul mate. He was her every corny and cliché phrase on a Valentine card. She loved him more now than she had when she married him, but he wasn't supposed to be her only companion in life. She had four sisters: Andrea, Michonne, Christie, and Jenny. Rick, Jesse, Merle, and Morgan were her brothers. Their children were her nieces and nephews and she loved all of them with a fierceness that still surprised her.

Dayton scurried to his toy box to get his beloved blocks and trucks and Carol helped him to relocate his toys to a corner of the dining area. She was making a fluffy dessert for tonight's barbecue. She was making it up as she went along but you couldn't go wrong with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate.

Sophia came in from the hayfields. Sweaty and dirty looking like a true Dixon. "It's finished. All the hay is baled and either in the barn or covered in the fields. Now Elias can go with us tomorrow."

Carol sighed. All of the teenagers were off on a backpacking trip in the morning. They were heading into the national park that bordered the farm for three days. They were all experienced back packers so what could possibly go wrong? Carol had a long list of things that could go wrong, but there was a list of things that could go right too. "Do you have everything you need? Clothes, food, water, an Uzi?" Nothing says fun weekend like an Israeli submachine gun.

"Can't bring guns into a national park, Mom. Shame on you. I expect that there will be an assortment of small melee weapons along for the ride. I'm taking Zak." Sophia kissed Dayton's head, "How the little man?" Dayton abandoned his building project to follow Sophia into her room. Carol finished her dessert and went to check on her offspring. Sophia was packing and Dayton was helping by taking everything out as she put it in.

Sophia's sword that she had nicknamed "Zak" was lying on the bed safely sheathed in its leather case. Sophia's camera and IPod were on her dresser so that Dayton couldn't grab them. Carol picked up Zak. "I'll move this to the dresser. " Carol's main weapon was a sword just like this.

The front door opened and Daryl called out, "Where is everybody?"

Dayton smiled, "Daddy" and took off. Carol heard him squeal and knew that Daryl had probably tossed her beloved son into the air. Daryl appeared at Sophia's door with Dayton. He smiled at Carol and Sophia, "Sissy, do you need anything for your trip?"

Sophia laughed, "Take the nuisance for a walk so that I can get finished."

Daryl grinned, "Come on, Carol. I'm sure she means you. Let's take Dayton with us."

Sophia was still in the shower when they got back. Carol answered the phone while Daryl started toward his own shower. It was Eric. "Carol, you know how you keep inviting me and Aaron to visit?" Something is wrong. Eric's got that catch in his voice he gets when he is shook up about something.

"You two are always welcome." What's up?

"We're on our way. Should be there by dark. We got an early start."

"I'll go get your room ready. I'll save you some dinner. The code this week is Dayton's birthday." Eric would know that date. He had been at the hospital for the event. He cried harder than Daryl when he saw Dayton for the first time.

"We're only stopping for gas. I would love to see Jacqui and Theo. Maybe they could hope and stay tonight." Shit, something is very wrong.

"They are coming to the barbecue tonight. I'll call and ask them to stay over."

Carol gave Dayton a bath while Sophia primped in front of the mirror. "Eric and Aaron are coming to see us tonight." Carol couldn't keep the worry out of her voice.

Sophia glanced her mother. "Let's get Dayton dressed and I'll take him down to the nursery. You can talk to Dad." Sophia finished getting ready and Dayton was persuaded to leave his flock of duckies and get dressed. Sophia patted her mother's shoulder, "It probably isn't anything."

Daryl was getting dressed in the bedroom. Carol leaned against the bedroom door and watched him. "Take those clothes off".

"These are the clothes that you picked out." Daryl zipped up the khaki shorts and looked at Carol.

"You can put them on later. After I'm through with you." She locked the bedroom door but continued to lean against it.

Daryl regarded her with narrowed eyes, "You ain't teasing me? What about Sophia and Dayton?" I do intend to tease you a little.

"Downstairs in the nursery." The cats are away and the mice can play.

"Sophia used up all the hot water and I finished my shower in cold water." The water must be awfully cold. Not to worry. I have a plan.

Carol laughed. "Just go lie down on the bed and I'll warm you up."

Daryl left his clothes lying on the floor but for once Carol left them there. She moved to the foot of the bed. "You are beautiful naked. I thought that the first time we were together." Daryl leaned back against the pillows. Give me a camera. I want to capture this moment and have it in my mind forever.

She sat down at the end of the bed and massaged his feet. She bit his big toe and then licked it. Daryl moved restlessly on the bed. "Why don't you take off your clothes?"

Carol scooted off the bed and began to undress slowly. It had taken her a long time to be confident enough to do that. To know that Daryl would be aroused by her nakedness. To enjoy the way he looked at her.

She moved back to the bed and began kissing and licking her way up Daryl's body. Slowly. Not in a hurry. She kissed and licked his balls and used her hands to stroke his erection. Then licked and sucked his dick while her hands explored the rest of his manhood.

Daryl groaned, "That's enough. It's my turn. I know what you want now." Carol slid toward him and they kissed. Their tongues teasing and caressing each other. Daryl's hands were on her breasts, kneading the nipples until they ached for his mouth and then he kissed his way down and satisfied them. He sucked hard and Carol felt her first orgasm. It burned through her quickly and the ache between her legs intensified as his fingers slid into her and began to rub against her swollen nub.

Daryl pulled back. His face was flushed and sweaty and Carol pushed against his fingers. Daryl teased, "Don't be in such a rush." He moved to position his face at her core and put her legs over her shoulders. His mouth explored her until she pulled his hair. He laughed again and used his tongue and mouth on her nub until he came in his mouth.

Carol kissed him and caressed his impatient cock. It was swollen and heavy and she wanted it inside her. Wanted to come with Daryl. She lined it up with her entrance and Daryl began to push his way in. She loved that feeling. Loved that she felt both pleasure and pressure. Loved that Daryl liked to fuck slowly until they both were frustrated. He was pushing his way in and out as if he wanted it to last. Wanted to feel every inch of her and she tightened her hold on him until he whimpered and began to increase his speed. They were both thrusting to increase contact and her world shrank until there was only this. The need to finish this dance with him. To give and receive pleasure. To ride the crest of desire together and then to land safely still wrapped in each other's arms.

They showered together and then dressed for the evening barbecue. It was then that Carol told Daryl about Eric and Aaron.

"That don't sound like them. They over plan a trip to the mall. Just jumping in the jeep and taking off for a week? I'm going to go find Rick and see if he knows anything. "Spooky" Grimes is always in the know." Daryl laughed uneasily. Daryl had watched every episode of X Files and had started calling Rick "Spooky" because he was always rattling on about potential disasters and unexplained phenomenon. The longer Rick worked at Homeland Security the more paranoid he became.

He kissed Carol and took off in search of Rick. Carol made the bed in the guest room of the main lodge that Eric and Aaron always used and did a quick dusting and vacuuming.

There was beef and chicken on one grill and vegetables on the other. The family gathered for one big meal together at least once a week. There was always plenty to eat and they ate outside on the big patio. Merle had invited Glenn, Maggie, and Beth. Carol had called Jacqui and Theo and they had agreed to stay. Daryl sat beside Carol, "Rick wants to wait until Aaron and Eric gets here to talk. He wants it be just the adults."

James and Beth sang after dinner. She loved their voices separately, and there was something special when they sang together. Beth was starting college in the fall and James was going back to Virginia Tech for his third year. They were just friends, but Carol recognized that Beth had a crush on James. James was enjoying college too much to settle down right now.

Carol saved two plates of food for Eric and Aaron. They were due around ten. There was a pool tournament downstairs and a movie playing on the big screen television in the media room. The adults waited on the patio. Dayton was asleep in Daryl's arms. Everyone else called him Mark now and Carol had trained herself to refer to him as Mark around the others but in her mind and heart he was still Daryl.

Jesse came up from the basement and joined them, "Their jeep just went through the first gate."

Soon Eric and Aaron were there and the men jumped into bringing in their luggage and plastic totes while the travelers ate a late dinner. It was far more than they would need for a weeklong vacation. There was trailer full of totes and boxes that were taken to storage downstairs.

Everyone moved indoors and settled around the long dining table. Those who had been occupied by the pool tournament and the movie drifted in and found extra seats. Aaron and Eric ate their dinner ravenously. Carol wondered if it was simple hunger or just some sort of reaction to making it here safely. They had brought too much for her to think that they weren't staying for a very long time.

Finally, Aaron spoke, "I've been working at the CDC for ten years. Saw a lot of scary diseases that killed lots of people. Mostly in places far from the United States. Then a week ago we started getting some strange reports of an infectious disease that attacked within 24 to 48 hours after exposure to the disease. At first we weren't too worried. It wasn't airborne and that usually meant that the only way to get it would be through exposure to body fluids like blood, saliva, and urine. The infected would quickly develop an extremely high fever that causes extensive brain damage and when the fever is through the only thing left is the reptilian brain and all it wants is to attack and feed."

Carol held her breath. Ed had been a fan of zombie movies and he didn't like to watch them alone. She hated those damn movies.

Merle blustered, "So they turn into zombies?"

Aaron shook his head, "They aren't dead. They're still alive, but they aren't human anymore. They're incredibly aggressive and won't stop attacking everything alive around them until they're dead."

Rick snuggled Judith closer to him and put his arm around Andrea. "I found out yesterday. The first cases were in Rio during the Olympics. We think that the virus is manmade and was deliberately spread during the end of the Olympics. The athletes went home and got sick with an abnormally high fever. Then within forty eight hours the fever begins to diminish and they fell into a deep sleep. They didn't wake up for many hours, but when they did they began to attack those around them. They were hungry and they began to feed on the living. Most were scattered all over the globe by then."

"So American athletes were exposed too. We have it here in the United States?" Michonne demanded.

All eyes turned to Aaron. He nodded. "Think about who would be at the Olympics? Athletes, television crews, reporters, and tourists from all over the globe. They weren't bitten. Maybe they were given the virus through food or water. It may have had a longer incubation period. We don't know very much about this infection, but there isn't any cure."

Rick took it up, "The National Guards will be called up tomorrow. The protocols to protect nuclear reactors has been activated. The government is refusing to release information to the public because they want to avoid the panic and the civil unrest. I don't think I have a job to go back to, but I told my superiors that I was going home to protect my family."

Sophia slipped into the dining room chair beside Carol. James and Jada moved behind Merle and Christie. Carl scooted between Andrea and Rick and all the families moved closer to the table. Carol asked, "What's the timeline?"

"It takes anywhere from three days to five days from the time of infection before they become violent. So the infection will spread every five days or so. There have already been cases where the infected got out of the hospital and bit people. Soon the hospital won't take any new patients. Theoretically, the disease could be stopped by killing everyone who gets bitten. Not everyone went to a hospital and they have infected others. One bite that breaks the skin will do it. The news will start covering the story Monday or Tuesday. There will be unrest by Wednesday and by next weekend there will be panic. We have a week." Aaron took Eric's hand, "We came here because as Robert Frost said,

"Home is the place where,

when you have to go there,

they have to take you in."

Carol blinked back tears. "Glenn, you and Maggie need to talk to Hershel. All of your family is welcome here." Hershel was the patriarch of the Green family and stubborn old coot. He was a veterinarian and farmer and he probably wouldn't leave his farm until it was too late.

Aaron looked up, "I'll talk to Hershel. He's a man of science. I can explain how all this happened. It isn't just the infected you have to worry about."

Jacqui looked at Theo. He nodded, "Jacqui and I will go home tomorrow morning and lock the house up. Jacqui has canned all summer and we'll bring all our food and weapons. We're going to call her brothers and warn them but they live all over the country. I'm calling my sister in San Diego. Her husband's family lives in the boondocks of Arizona. They'll go there. I think right now we will go to our room and pray."

Christie stood up, "That sounds like a good idea. The backpacking trip is off and I don't want to hear any back talk. Tomorrow morning we're going to be busy." Merle stood up and took her hand and kissed it. Jada and James followed them toward their wing of the Lodge.

Daryl carried Dayton upstairs and put him in his bed. "Tomorrow we will change the French doors to the deck to steel doors. We need to rethink all of our security measures. I'm glad that we have all the space under the two additions that we can use for storage and extra bedrooms."

Carol bent and kissed Dayton, "I'm going to go talk to Sophia. I know she's scared. You going back downstairs?"

"I am going to take first watch. Just keeping an eye on the security cameras. Rick is taking the next watch, and then Jesse. Things are going to be different around here."

Carol moved into his arms and he held her close to him. She could feel his heart against her palm. "We're going to get through this. It's not going to be the same again, but our family can survive this."

Daryl came upstairs hours later to find that Carol had Dayton on one side of her on their bed and Sophia on the other. He smiled and scooted Dayton closer to Carol. There was enough room for him to lie down and he kicked off his boots and socks. There was a pair of sleep pants in the bathroom and he put them on even though he usually slept in his boxers. He eased in beside of Dayton. Things were already different.

AN

This was such a happy little story, but like Daryl said, Thing are going to be different around here."

The "Home" quote is from Robert Frost's poem, "The Death of the Hired Man".

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