a/n: this was supposed to be up during actual thanksgiving but that didn't happen lmao. hope you all had a great thanksgiving if you celebrate it and a happy thursday if you don't. enjoy!

Carl was in the middle of a dream when he felt movement against him. He realized Zora is pulling her body from his as he begins to feel cold air hit his chest. He quickly tightened his grip on her waist, gently tugging her back to his front once more.

"Where're you going?" Carl asked, his voice slightly scratchy from the lack of use. Zora let out a small giggle. Carl's eyes were still closed but he could easily picture her brown eyes twinkling in amusement and her head shaking fondly.

"The bathroom," Zora replied. As she turned to face him, her chest soon pressed to his, Carl creaked his eyes open, blinking a few times to adjust. His eyes immediately met his wife's.

His wife. It had been just over a year and he still couldn't believe it.

"Do you really?"

"I mean, unless you want me to pee myself."

"I could work with that," Carl teased.

"Carl," Zora admonished, pushing his shoulder. "Don't even play like that."

Carl laughed in response. Zora made a face and forced herself from her husband's arms, narrowly escaping his reach as she pounced from the bed and hurried to their connected bathroom.

By the time Carl made his way inside the bathroom as well, Zora was at the sink brushing her teeth. He stood behind her, placing one hand on her waist while the other laid over her stomach, his thumb lovingly stroking the area.

"Are you heading out to meet with our moms soon?" Carl questioned.

Zora spat the toothpaste out of her mouth and rinsed off her toothbrush, placing it on the hanger before answering, "Yep. Girls' day and Thanksgiving shopping."

The prospect of said shopping seemed to cause Zora some anxiety if the grimace on her face was anything to go by. Their moms got a little intense when it came to the holidays and with this year being Carl and Zora's first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner, his wife felt a lot of pressure this year in particular.

Carl kissed her shoulder, "Text me and I'll keep you company over the phone."

"Oh, yes," Zora filled a measuring cap with mouthwash. "While you sit at home on the couch all day." She gargled and spat, then rinsed her mouth with water before turning to face her husband.

"I'll cook dinner," Carl smiled. "Your favorite."

"I appreciate it," Zora said. "Hopefully I can keep it down."

Carl hummed and Zora placed a peck to his lips. He pouted.

"Brush your teeth and you'll get a little more," Zora grinned and reached around him to squeeze his small behind. She gifted Carl with another peck before making her way to their kitchen to prepare her honey and ginger tea.

Carl shook his head and did just as she said.

Carl was Netflix surfing, unable to find anything interesting to watch that he hadn't already started with Zora, when his phone vibrated against the table. He took a quick peek at it just to make sure it wasn't anyone important or Zora texting an SOS but paused when he saw a Facebook Messenger notification.

It was interesting for two reasons. One: Carl didn't even realize he had that app on his phone. And two: the only people he knew that actively used Facebook were his mom and dad. But they obviously wouldn't use Messenger when they had his number.

So, out of curiosity, Carl grabbed his phone and clicked the notification. The app loaded to what would be the conversation, a message popping up due to him not having this person as a friend.

Lori Walsh would like to send you a message. Accept or Decline?

He closed the app.

By the time Zora walked through the door, Carl already had her comfort television show-Married to Medicine-playing on the screen as he made the finishing touches on dinner.

The younger woman looked visibly exhausted, simply giving Carl a small smile and a kiss to the cheek as she passed him on the way to the couch. She'd been so tired lately due to the pregnancy, and work and overzealous mothers were no help.

Carl placed the food on low and joined his wife on the couch, knowing she wasn't exactly in the mood to eat just yet. He gingerly lifted her feet and replaced their spot on the cushion before lowering them down onto his lap.

They were very swollen. He took off Zora's socks and began kneading her right foot. She let out a soft groan of satisfaction, causing Carl to smile to himself. "I didn't get an SOS," Carl teased.

Zora grinned, "Didn't need to. I think our dads might've talked to 'em."

Carl snickered. Zora caught his meaning instantly. "You did?"

"I didn't think they'd listen, but it was worth the try," Carl admitted. "I'm glad they did."

Zora groaned once more when Carl started easing a particularly tight knot. "How was your day?"

"...good," Carl replied, looking intently towards his handiwork against his wife's foot. "It was good."

Carl could feel Zora's eyes on him as she waited for him to be completely honest with her. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Carl switched his attention to Zora's left foot.

"My, um… my birth mother messaged me."

"She messaged you?" Carl looked up and was met with Zora's scrutinizing stare. She wasn't the biggest fan of Carl's birth mother, and for good reason. Great reason. "What, on Facebook or something?"

Carl applied the teensiest bit more pressure to Zora's foot and she purred in response. "Exactly. I don't even know what it says. I couldn't open it… couldn't bring myself to."

Zora patted her left foot against Carl's thigh, signaling the end of the massage. He obliged and watched as she moved herself closer to him so the two could be truly face to face. She grabbed his hands and intertwined their fingers.

"Do you want to?" Her voice was gentle, all traces of hostility towards Lori gone as she focused on him.

Carl didn't answer verbally, instead diverting his eyes to the phone that sat on the coffee table in front of them. Zora, correctly reading Carl's expression, grabbed the phone and unlocked it with Face I.D. She opened Facebook Messenger and was met with the same notification.

Lori Walsh would like to send you a message. Accept or Decline?

Zora looked at Carl for final confirmation before pressing "accept." She didn't look at the message, opting to hold the screen to her chest once she selected the word.

"We'll do it together," Zora said. Carl couldn't do anything but squeeze her hand and nod.

Zora leaned in closer and revealed the screen, the message Lori sent visible for the couple to see.

Lori Walsh: Hi, Carl. I'm your mom, Lori. I would like to officially meet you.

The next day saw Carl and Zora waking up early due to a bout of morning sickness. Because of this, and it being Sunday, the pair decided to stay in bed all day. At least until Carl had to go find something to eat to satisfy his wife's cravings.

Carl's mom's ringtone began playing from his phone's place on the nightstand. Zora paused the new season of 1899 as Carl accepted his mom's FaceTime call.

"Hey, Mom," Carl greeted, a pleasant grin on his face.

"Hi, Mimi," Zora waved, smiling as well.

"Hey, boos!" his mother greeted. "You're in bed."

Carl understood her statement as an unspoken question. His mom was one that stayed constantly on the move and didn't seem to understand what it meant to take a break and relax.

"We're not all like you, Mom," Carl teased. "We don't all go on runs at 6am on the weekends."

"Yeah, Mimi," Zora giggled, grateful for Carl's quick thinking. "Weekends are for sleeping in."

Michonne shook her head, "Not true."

"Where is everyone?" Carl asked. He didn't hear any background noise of Judith complaining about Maxine playing in her makeup, RJ asking about food, or his dad yelling about a clogged toilet.

"Dad's at work, Judith's out on a date with Rhea, RJ's in his room, and Max had a sleepover at Ellie's last night," Michonne explained. "So I've basically got the house to myself."

"But I called because you said you wanted to ask me about something?" Michonne scrunched her eyebrows and Carl was sure his text must've freaked her out. He wasn't one to say he needed to talk to her about something; he just did it.

Carl looked to Zora. She nodded in reassurance. He gathered his courage and looked back to his mom.

"Lori wants to meet me," Carl calmly stated.

His mom looked taken aback. It was clear that was the last thing she thought of, if she thought it at all. "Oh? Do you want to meet her?"

"Do you think I should?"

"It doesn't matter what I think, or what you should or shouldn't do, boo," Michonne replied softly. She studied his face through the camera. "But if you feel it's something you need, I don't see why not."

Carl took a moment to soak in his mom's words before nodding, "I'll think about it."

The mood was slightly dampened for a moment before Zora spoke up, "Mimi, you should tell Carl about that new recipe you found!" She directed her next sentence to Carl, "You're gonna love it, baby."

Michonne's eyes lit up as she began describing the dish and, of course, her happiness was a contagion and spread to Carl. Leave it to Zora to find a way to lighten a mood.

Carl and Zora sat in a booth in a coffee shop near his dad's mechanic shop. The two sat next to one another on one side, Carl with a black coffee and Zora with ginger tea.

"Can I just have a sip?" Zora fixed him with puppy dog eyes.

"No, baby," Carl winced. "You're going to puke it up."

Zora pouted, placing a soft hand on her tummy and whispered to it, "Why can't you let me have nice things, suge?"

Carl grinned, watching the interaction. He was anticipating the day they didn't have to talk to their child through such a barrier, even with it being almost 5 months away.

"Soon enough," Carl said, placing his hand over Zora's. She met his eyes and grinned, leaning over to kiss him when a throat cleared. The couple turned their heads and saw a thin, tall, brunette woman with long hair and brown eyes standing next to their table.

"Hi, Carl," Lori smiled, eager. "Zora."

"Lori," Carl instantly recognized. He gestured for her to take a seat across from them. "It's nice to see you again." He remembered, briefly, their meeting when he was really young but not much of it.

Lori attempted to hide her disappointment for the lack of a hug but did it poorly. She sat across from the couple and looked around.

"Wow, this place looks almost exactly the same," Lori reminisced.

"Yeah," Carl smiled. "I love it."

The trio sat in awkward silence for a bit before Carl and Lori began to speak at the same time.

"So, how are-"

"Why did you-"

"Sorry," Lori chuckled. "You first."

"Why did you want to meet now?" Carl asked. It was the only question he had.

"Because I miss you. You have so many milestones I wasn't a part of," Lori said. "I mean, you're married for Christ's sake! I have a daughter-in-law that I've never even met."

"Because of a choice you made," Zora said. It slipped out, something that tended to happen when Zora was upset. Carl placed his hand on her thigh and gave a gentle squeeze to calm her. Zora intertwined her fingers with his.

Lori looked down in shame, "I did make that choice and I regret it everyday."

"Then why did it take over 20 years for you to reach out?" Carl wasn't upset. He was genuinely curious.

In lieu of a verbal response, Lori pulled out her phone and showed the pair her home screen. It showed a child. A little girl who was a little younger than Maxine, about 10-years-old maybe, smiling Lori's smile and possessing a mischievous glint in her eye.

"This is Dakota," Lori grinned. "She's 9 and she means the world to me and her father. And she deserves to know her brother."

Carl felt Zora clutch his fingers just the tiniest bit and he was unsure whether it was supposed to comfort her or him. "She's gorgeous," Zora complimented, genuinely.

"She is," Lori took one final glance at her screen before putting her phone away once more. "I wasn't ready to be a mom to Carl back then, but I am now. Because of her."

Carl wanted to ask how it took Lori until she was 48-years-old with a 9-year-old child to decide she was ready to be a mother when she had over a decade of time before that to get to such a point. He would be hurt if he actually cared enough.

He wanted to ask why she was so insistent on trying to become a mom to an adult man. He wanted to ask why Lori was acting like Carl didn't already have a mom.

"I'm happy for you, Lori," Carl stated. "You deserve that happiness, and I would love to meet Dakota, but I don't need you to be my mom. I already have one.

"Her name's Michonne and she's wonderful. It's because of her that I never felt the need to do this. I did it for you, and now for Dakota too, I guess.

"But if this is going to work, if you are going to be in my life, you need to understand and respect that the woman who raised me is my mom. Will you do that?"

Lori had tears in her eyes, trying to blink them away, even as a few tracked down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away, "Of course."

Zora gripped Carl's fingers once more and lifted them to press a kiss to them, displaying how proud she was. Carl sighed, giving Zora a lovely look of gratitude before returning his attention to Lori. "Tell me about Dakota."

The Grimes home was robust with laughter as Carl and Zora's family gathered around their dining table. The pair had to splurge on a new table to fit all of their family. It put a bit of a dent into their savings but it was worth it to have everyone there.

Carl watched as Judith and Josephine spoke with one another about a new makeup launch from Rihanna, his dad and Darius debated about the night's big game, Maxine begged their mom to give her some more turkey (Michonne wouldn't let her have anymore until she finished her greens, so it was not going to happen), Andre caught his long-term girlfriend-Brianna-stealing some food off of his plate even though hers was full, and RJ asked Langston and his wife-Harper-to drive their brand new SUV. The most wonderful sight, though, was Zora next to him stuffing her face with yams, which made up the majority of her plate for the evening.

It was her latest craving.

She swallowed the lump of yams that was in her mouth before turning to him, "You okay?" She placed her soft hand on top of his, her thumb rubbing his index finger. He turned his hand over so they were palm to palm, laced their fingers and gripped gently.

"Never been better," Carl whispered. Zora gave a soft grin and asked Megan to pass her the bowl of yams again. Carl almost laughed at the expression on his mother-in-law's face.

"Carl, boo," Michonne called. "How did your meeting with Lori go?"

"Yeah, was she a bitch?" RJ asked, eyes wide.

"Richard Grimes," Michonne snarled. RJ shrank in his chair, "I'm sorry for my language."

Michonne nodded once and returned her attention to her oldest son.

"It was good," Carl replied. "I'm glad I had Zora with me."

"I get that," Rick started. "Your mom helped me through my own meeting with Lori. Remember that?"

Michonne let out a sarcastic laugh, "Do I? If she looked at me crazy one more time during that thing, I would've caught a case."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't," Rick grinned. "Being a single father isn't for me."

Michonne made a face before placing a loving kiss on her husband's temple.

"You didn't invite her to dinner, Carl?" Megan asked, curious.

Carl shook his head, "No. She's not family yet."

Everyone at the table looked touched, even RJ who didn't take anything seriously. "Speaking of," Zora segued. She grinned a beautiful grin at Carl. "We have an announcement."

The whole table looked to the pair in interest while Michonne and Megan seemed expectant.

"We're pregnant!" Carl and Zora announced.

"Oh, my god!"

"I knew it!"

"I'm going to be an aunt?!"

"For real?"

"Congratulations!"

"Is that why she's been eating the yams like that?"

So much hit the pair at once, they didn't know who was saying what. It all sounded like white noise.

"We knew it, Zora!" Megan exclaimed. "Oh, Michonne and I knew it!"

"You couldn't hide that nausea very well, girl," Michonne grinned.

"At all," Megan cosigned. She gave a daughter a big hug, careful not to squeeze too tight. "Oh, my first grandbaby!"

"Our first baby!" Zora laughed. "We couldn't wait to tell you guys."

"We just wanted to get out of the first trimester," Carl explained. "It was so hard not telling anyone."

"Trust me, son," Darius reassured. "We get it."

"Grandpa, huh?" Andre directed to their father. "Guess you finally have a reason for the gray hairs."

"Just for that, Dre, I hope you start getting grays tomorrow," Rick replied.

Michonne swatted his chest, "Don't say that!"

"Thanks, Mom," Andre said.

"It's more likely to be Carl," Michonne finished.

Carl made an affronted face.

"It's true, boo, I'm sorry," Michonne sarcastically apologized. Carl simply shook his head.

"Dad, I don't know why you're laughing," Langston called out. "You started graying at 30!"

"You know what…" Darius gave his oldest child the side eye.

The entire table burst into laughter. When everyone was mostly calm, Josephine stood, "Who's ready for dessert?"

"Me," Maxine declared.

"Girl, you better eat those greens first," Michonne shot down.

"Mom…" Maxine groaned, but finally started shoveling the vegetable into her mouth.

Josephine went to grab the sweet potato pie, pecan pie, and cheesecake, placing each dessert on the table. Everyone dug in, grabbing their respective dessert with Maxine watching enviously as she finished her greens.

"Hey," Carl heard Zora whisper in his ear and pivoted his focus to her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Carl returned. "The both of you."

The two share a sweet kiss before Zora attempts to steal a piece of Carl's cheesecake.