Beth and Sophia were at the piano when Carol came downstairs, Maggie was making breakfast, and the men were out "doing manly things". Carol wrapped her cardigan tighter as she stepped into the den, hearing Beth teaching Sophia The Parting Glass,and she smiled. She'd always wanted this for Sophia. This and so much more. They had a real chance of happiness here, and soon, he would be out of their lives.
"We found some clothes for her in the car." Maggie held out a plate to Carol. "And we're movin' the boxes outta that room and bringin' in the mattress from the guest bedroom for Sophia. You're welcome to stay as along as you want."
"Oh, thank you so much, but I'm not hun—"
"Mommy, look! I can almost play it!" Sophia ran up to her. "And Grandpa said we could go horseback riding later today too! I love it here!"
Carol looked from Sophia to Maggie, taking the plate. "Sophia likes scrambled eggs."
Maggie smirked. "Comin' right up."
"Once you're washed up, we're goin' into town to see Mama," Beth told her. "We're bringin' her flowers, and she'd love to meet Sophia."
"Yes, she would. That's a really good idea." Carol sat down at the table. "How does that sound, sweetheart?"
"Meeting Grandma?" Sophia grinned. "When we can leave?"
"After breakfast," Maggie called. "So eat. You're too skinny, and we're gonna fatten you up."
Carol blushed, having forgotten how much weight she'd lost since moving away. She ate her breakfast silently, and then after bathing and changing, they all went to the hospital to see Annette. Hershel went in first to see if she was up for this surprise. When he returned, he nodded, and Carol went in first.
Her mother looked so small, lying there under white sheets, but she looked beautiful and exactly the same as Carol remembered, just a little she really done this? Had she put her mom in the hospital? She never thought of her mother when she left. She missed her and her family every day, but she didn't expect her leaving to do this. Leaving? Running away was more accurate. Why was she so stupid? God, look at her. Look what you did to her. Carol's eyes burned and she took a deep breath.
––
"What?" Carol exclaimed, shooting out of her seat, staring at her mother liked she'd just grown a second head. "I must've heard you wrong."
Annette frowned. "Carol, I'm marrying Hershel Greene. I told you—"
"You said you were getting close!" Carol snapped. "Not having orgasms and exchanging saliva together!"
Shawn groaned at the images Carol placed in his brain.
"Carol Suzanne—"
"Don't "Carol Suzanne" me! I'm not one who's screwing Dad's best friend!" Her eyes filled with tears. "How could you?"
Annette's heart ached at the sight of her little girl crying. Annette had lost her husband when Carol was twelve, and she took it the hardest. She'd always been close to her father, and Annette knew Hershel would be an excellent father to her kids as he was to his girls. He knew Carol adored him—Annette knew that too. She'd hoped that their past would show Carol that Hershel loved her like his own daughter and would do anything for her. She had hoped that past would ease this news, but it didn't. It add only made this so much worse.
Sighing almost soundlessly, she tried to understand. She had a place for her beloved husband in her heart, and she would never forget him and what they had, but she had room in her heart for Hershel and his girls too. She loved Hershel deeply. He'd been there for her when it counted, and she was there for him through Josephine. They had grown closer, and then they fell in love. She was happy. If only Carol could see this happiness didn't mean she didn't love Ethan anymore. She would always love Ethan.
"Ca—"
"Don't bother. I don't wanna hear of your disgusting betrayal." She grabbed her backpack and went to her room, slamming the door. She tossed her backpack on her bed and racked her hands through her hair then covered her face, sobbing.
The mere thought of a another man replacing her dad was just wrong. No one could replace her dad, not even Hershel, who was a father figure in her life. She loved him very much, but she didn't want him as a father. She didn't want him to be the one to walk her down the aisle and gave her away at her wedding or be there to give her crappy advice or try and do the dance her father and she had made up when she was five for her wedding. He just couldn't.
Her door opened, and it was Shawn. He shut the door with his foot and hugged her tightly.
"How could she?" Carol asked, voice muffled by his hoodie.
"How could she what?"
"How could she just replace Daddy? He hasn't been gone for that long, and that bitch decides to marry Hershel just because his wife died? That's crap!"
"Hey, hey, hey. No bitch and no justs." He pushed her back and set his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Dad died three years ago, kid, and Jo died almost two years ago. Hershel could never replace Dad—you know that as well as I do."
"Then why? Why propose? Why make us move into that farmhouse and change our names? It's not fair! I don't wanna be a Greene! I don't want sisters! I only need you and Mom."
"Thanks, kid." He hit her shoulder lightly, and she let out a small laugh at the brotherly gesture. "But—and I love you—but I want more sisters. I want to move into that farmhouse and have—well, my own bathroom, for one."
She looked at the door that led to their bathroom, only separated by a sheet. Their dad and Hershel had added another sink and mirror for Shawn, but they couldn't split the shower. Both Shawn and Carol had gotten the hog-the-hot-water gene from their dad.
"And besides, we'll not only have a dad, but it's Hershel. Hershel! We love him, remember?" She stopped laughing then, and he wanted to shake her. "I know he's not Dad, and I miss Dad too, every day, but I think it's time, kid."
She sniffed. "It's not going to be that easy, Shawn. I don't want any of this." Fresh tears filled her eyes. "I want to stay. Daddy lived in this house with us, raised us in this house. Our height is craved into the door frame in the kitchen. How can we just leave all of that, Shawn?"
"Carol, his memory isn't in this house." He did shake her this time and hard. "Dad's memory lives within us, okay? You're still gonna be his little bookworm over at Hershel's and in college and in your marriage and old age and death! God, Carol, don't be selfish."
"I didn't hurt Mom. She hurt me." She crossed her arms. "If you need me, I'll be in eating my weight Oreos." She left the room and went to through his room to get to the kitchen, avoiding her mom. She grabbed her stuffed elephant that her dad had won her mom from her bed and sank down onto the floor, the Oreos beside her as she cuddled the elephant close and tried to see this from her mother's point of view.
––
After two long weeks of not speaking to her mother, finding boxes piling up in the living room, and eating more and more fast food and pizza, Carol decided to stop being difficult and actually pack her belongings. She called Lori and Andrea to help, but Andrea had to babysit Amy, so it was just Lori. She texted her mom that she'd gotten one helper then turned her phone off. She was packing, and she didn't want her mom to text back. That was step one in acceptance phase. She'd gotten over denial and anger and depression over the past few weeks. She wasn't good a bargaining. She was had two steps to acceptance: 1) texting her mom and avoiding looking at her and 2) slowly returning to normal. Slowly.
"I brought tape and pizza." Lori plopped down on Carol's bed, sitting the pizza down and tossing the tape into her box of messy bedsheets. "C'mon, eat. It's strictly veggies."
"And sausage?" Carol begged.
Lori grinned. "And sausage."
"Feed me!" Carol dropped beside her, opening the box and grabbing a slice. "Mom hasn't bought food in two days. She's been so busy with the wedding and moving and helping Hershel get the rooms ready. I licked a cheeseburger wrapper for dinner." She almost shoved the slice into her mouth.
Lori laughed. "Oh, please!"
Carol licked her lips. "Fine, I ate the cheeseburger too."
"So," Lori met her eyes, "are you excited?"
"For what?" She picked a bell pepper off her slice and ate it.
"For Maggie and Beth to be your sisters!" Lori had her duh! face on. "I've always wanted sisters. I have you, but it's not the same."
"I would love to be your sister," Carol told her. "Is your dad single?"
"No. He's taking Mom on a second honeymoon in two weeks. Whoo, best summer ever!" She rolled her eyes and bit into her pizza. She swallowed and held a finger up. "If I end up pregnant, it's because they're crappy parents."
Carol rolled her eyes. "You? Pregnant? You don't even have a boyfriend."
"Who's your guy? Daryl?"
"Don't talk about him like that." Carol knew Lori was only teasing, but she was very protective of Daryl. She always had been.
"I'm serious. You'd be cute together. Red and black, blue and blue, tan and pale, happy and brooding."
"He does not brood!" Carol swatted her with a pillow.
"Oh, he so does!" She laughed.
A knock on Carol's bedroom door stopped her from beating Lori with the pillow, and Carol turned her head to find Maggie standing there with Annette's keys. Maggie was a year younger than Carol, her hair was short and appeared to be wet, and she was wearing the matching shirts Annette bought them when she forced Carol and Maggie and Beth to do "family bonding". They were all close, but being sisters was different. They were all so different, and those differences really stuck out now. It was uncomfortable to be around them too. So why was she here?
"Hey." She smiled. "I came by to help. Daddy dropped me off."
"Hungry?" Lori gestured to the pizza, standing up and wiping her hands on her jeans. "Help yourself. I'm gonna pack your clothes, okay, Carol?"
"Yeah, sure." Carol wasn't hungry anymore.
"I'm not hungry," Maggie said. "I'll just...get your suitcases. Mom said they were in the hall closet?"
"Mom?" Carol frowned, staring at her.
"Annette." Maggie laughed uncomfortably. "She wanted me to start callin' her that, just tryin' it out." She disappeared down the hall, head down as she walked away.
A pillow smacked Carol in the face, sending her off the bed and onto the floor. She looked up at Lori and glared. "What?" She tossed the pillow into a box. "I'm cleaning out the bitchy."
"Ha ha." Carol stood up.
"Hey, Maggie, gimme one of those please." Lori took one of the two suitcases and unzipped. "Oh, God!" She grabbed the Lysol and attacked the suitcase with it. "Gahh!" She dropped the practically empty can into the pile of stuffed animals. "This was Shawn's, wasn't it?"
Carol nodded, closing the box of pizza.
"The human body can make foul smells." She shuddered and took the other suitcase, slowly opening it.
"It's mine, Lor." Carol smiled and grabbed the box of bubble-wrapped pictures, adding in the small stuffed animals and closing it. She grabbed a marker and wrote pictures on it.
"What do you want me to do?" Maggie asked.
"Empty that bookshelf," Lori suggested, pointing to the one beside her.
Carol glanced at her as they all got to work, and she hated the idea of being in the same house with someone who wore that stupid shirt. God, it was ridiculous. Was she kissing ass or what? Jeez. Carol tried not to think about it as she set the rest of her stuffed animals in a bucket to be donated. She was going to be fourteen in a month, and she didn't need all of these. Only the elephant and the pig. The rest could go.
"I need music." Lori dug her phone out of her pocket and flipped through her playlist. "Any objections to Onerepublic?"
Maggie shrugged, and Carol shook her head, placing another toy in the bucket, and the room filled with Onerepublic's Love Runs Out. It didn't make them want to get up and dance with the tension between Maggie and Carol, but it took the edge off the tension.
Ooh, we all want the same thing.
Ooh, we all run for something.
Oh for God, for fate,
For love, for hate,
For gold, and rust,
For diamonds, and dust.
"Do you listen to them a lot?" Maggie asked Lori.
"They're all right when I'm stretch before a jog," Lori replied.
"Stretching?" Carol snorted a laugh. "You mean sitting in your living room and attempting to do a plank?" She turned to Maggie. "Her version of a plank is sitting on her stomach and trying to vacuum in a gummy bear."
Maggie laughed.
"I do a plank when I'm eating them," Lori reminded her.
"Okay, then I do a plank every day. Only Oreos are my victory. I love them with milk. Or coffee." She paused. "And on cheesecake and ice cream."
"And with cake," Lori added. "And pie and steak."
"What?" Maggie groaned in disgust.
"I do not!" Carol threw a hippo at her. "The steak part, at least."
"I saw you," Lori challenged.
"On a dare! Shawn dared me, and I was ten. I was very easily goaded into things."
"Still are," Lori muttered.
"Shut up or I'm leaving one of Shawn's gym socks in your locker."
"Oh, I dare you."
"Do you really wanna?"
"I think I do." She arched a brow. "But I'll retaliate, and I play dirty."
Carol pursed her lips then stood up. "We need to hurry. We're supposed to be outta here by this Friday, and my closet hasn't even been opened!"
Lori winked at Maggie, and Maggie smiled a little, setting CDs in the box in front of her. They listened to the playlist on Lori's phone for three hours while packing up Carol's room. They made little jokes here and there, Maggie was starting to get to know Carol a little and she saw Lori and Carol were really close. She wondered if that would ever happen with them. They were both distant since the news, both pissed at their parent and at each other and themselves for not seeing it. How did they not see it? It was so obvious.
They were supposed to be out of the house by Friday, but Annette wanted Carol moved in or out by Thursday afternoon. She had all of the time in the world, but Annette was adamant. Carol wouldn't disrespect her mother that much, so she agreed. She was staying tonight. Her last night. Lori was staying with her too, and hopefully Andrea. They were gonna sleep on the floor with blankets and pillows, eat whatever was eatable in the kitchen and just say goodbye. They all practically grew up here, so they had goodbyes too.
Carol was bitter that all Shawn did was slap the top of the door on his way out. He was enjoying his new room already, helping Mom with the wedding arrangements, but Carol just couldn't help or be around her. She hoped her room wasn't close to their room. She would sleep in the barn if it was. She wasn't used to them being together, and she didn't like it either. She just wanted things to go back. She wanted her father back.
"Baby you a song! You make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise!" Lori was on her feet, dancing and singing loudly. "Hey, baby!"
"Oh, God, no." Carol covered her ears and tried crawling under her bed.
"What is she doing?" Maggie asked, crawling over to the bed.
"Killing whales," Carol replied. "Killing rabbits. Killing squirrels. Killing us, Lori!"
Lori laughed, but ignored her. "Thought, 'Oh, good lord, she had them long tanned legs'. Couldn't help myself so I walked up and said baby you a song."
"Here." Carol dug out the earplugs she'd stuffed under here to block out Shawn. "Quickly, before she gets into it."
Maggie laughed as she put the earplugs in, and Carol cringed, crawling out beside Maggie. They sat with their arms on Carol's bed and watched Lori. They fell back laughing at her—swinging her hips, waving her arms in some strange motion in her jean shorts, tank top and bare feet with those loose pigtails. It was too funny. They couldn't take it, and they rolled toward each other, covering their mouths and when they saw each others red faces and teary eyes, they lost it again.
They couldn't breathe, their chest were aching, lungs screaming for lungs. They were past laughing, and they weren't even making noises. They were squeaking, and Lori grabbing scarfs to add to her dance didn't help. They were going to die right then and there, and Lori was having too much fun to even notice. Their lungs couldn't take much more, but good Lord, that dance! That face! It was too much.
Lori dropped on the bed before the last verse and busted out laughing herself as Maggie and Carol struggled to breathe. They were all settling down as the next song played, Carol wiped the tears from her eyes, discovering one of the earplugs had fallen out, and Maggie removed the earplugs.
Lori rolled over and looked at them. "And?"
"God don't ever do that again." Maggie climbed to her feet.
"Amen." Carol took the hand Maggie held out and tugged out the earplug that didn't fall out. "I love you, but I love my ears more."
"Thank you. You're both bitches." She was laughing though. "C'mon, we've got a closet to tackle."
Maggie and Carol locked eyes and lunged for her phone, taking the battery out and running out of the room.
That's sisterly bonding. "Hey!" Lori ran after them. "That phone cost more than your lives! Get back here!"
"Run!" Carol opened the back door, and they ran out into the backyard. Carol grabbed her hand and led her back to the front door while Lori searched the backyard. They locked her out of the house and laughed when she caught on, high fiving.
––
Shawn moved the last of Carol's boxes into the bed of Otis's truck while she and Maggie stood in the massive and very empty living room. It was Thursday afternoon. Right on time. They had cake tasting with Annette and Beth after this. Originally, Beth and Patricia were gonna set up Carol's room, but Carol didn't want them to. She wasn't sure how she wanted it to look just yet, so she would do that herself.
"The last one." Shawn shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.
Maggie looked over at him from where she at on the windowsill. "What time is it?"
"Almost one. Mom's waiting, kid."
"The last one," Carol whispered then looked at him. "Do we still have tomorrow night?"
"Yeah. We're takin' that frame," he assured her.
"It'll go across from Beth's and mine," Maggie told her. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah. That's great." She smiled a little then turned and stepped out the front door. "I'll turn my key in tomorrow night, okay?"
"Sure. I doubt Mr. Morales will mind."
Shawn got in the truck with Otis to help him unpack when they got back home, and Maggie and Carol walked to the cake shop since it wasn't too far away. It was this cute little place. It was a shame it was going to be sold, but that's business. Someone's gonna make it into a great cafè or something.
Inside the shop, Beth was holding Annette's hand, looking at the designs and smiling. She pointed Carol and Maggie out when they entered. Annette looked over, and she released Beth's hand as Carol walked into her hug, squeezing her tightly, holding back the tears.
"I love you," Carol said softly, finally understanding why. Andrea didn't make the sleepover, but Maggie had."And I'm so sorry for being so horrible."
She smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'll love you no matter what you do, no matter how horrible. Unless it's murder. That's where I draw the line."
She laughed. "Okay. Good." She stepped back. "Let's get some cake. It smells so good."
"All right. I'll go get Jacqui."
Carol stood there and felt a hand wiggle into hers. She looked down at Beth, who was holding both her hand and Maggie's. Carol and Maggie exchanged a glance then smiled a little, both giving silent apologizes about their behavior since they hadn't brought it up last night. They were, after all, sisters-to-be.
– – –
Annette looked up when Carol enter, and her eyes filled with tears. "Carol?"
"Mom." Carol hugged her. "It's so good to see you! I missed you so much!" She kissed her cheek and looked her over. "You look beautiful."
"You look beautiful." She smiled widely. She couldn't believe it. She'd always dreamed of this moment after the first two years, and she never thought it would be like. She was glad it was, because it was happening. Her little girl was home! "You're so grown up. And skinny! Did you starve yourself?"
Carol forced a laugh. "No, it's just been a while, and I want to tell you everything, but there's someone who wants to meet you first."
"Has Daryl finally gotten off his rump to see me?"
Carol shook her head. "She's a bit younger and you'd call her...granddaughter. Sophia, c'mere, honey." Sophia shyly walked in, and Annette pushed herself into a sitting position. Sophia climbed onto her mom's lap and looked Annette over, smiling. "This is Sophia, my daughter."
"Hi," Sophia said.
"Hello." Annette looked at Carol. "I thought you... I don't even care. Come here." She held her arms out, and Sophia was pulled into the tightest hug. "Thank God for this little miracle."
Carol averted her eyes, Sophia struggled to breathe, and that's the moment the others chose to come inside. Annette wanted to know everything, Carol told her as much as she could, not really answering her questions, but luckily telling her Sophia's dad was dead got her off Carol's back. They managed to have a really good time, and it felt really fantastic to be with her family again without the worry of Ed striking her and leaving a mark for her to explain to them. It made Carol feel better about staying in town for a while. Ed didn't even know about them, so she was fine. And Daddy had a shotgun, and he knew how to shoot quite well. He doesn't like to shoot, but shooting the man who abused his daughter was the only exception.
When they left, Hershel and Shawn stayed back to keep her company and to give the girls a chance to have a day out. It was a sweet gesture, and since Beth had to get a haircut, Maggie suggest Carol dye her hair back to the color it's supposed to be.
"Why did you dye your hair?" Beth asked, carrying Sophia on her back. "Your hair was so pretty."
"Oh, I just...needed a change."
Maggie opened the door, Beth placed Sophia down in a chair and went to her stylist. Carol and Maggie took a seat, and Sophia looked over all the shampoos. Maggie crossed her legs and flipped through a magazine, pausing only when Sophia naming off favorite colors to some other little girl.
"That reminds me. I coulda sworn when I saw you last night, your eyes were brown."
Carol laughed lightly. "Brown? No, they're the same gray-blue as always."
Maggie pursed her lips. "It was getting dark..."
Carol decided to get her hair done after all. She had it dyed to almost the same color, leaving it in the same length, wanting it to grow longer. And when the stylist was finished, it suited her. Her hair was going to curl in the morning, but she didn't care. It looked good, and she felt like her old self.
"I like it," Maggie told both Carol and Beth.
"It looks really good, Mommy." Sophia liked it. It reminded her more of her mom than her other hair. She couldn't tell what Beth had done. It looked the same. "Yours too, Auntie Beth!"
"Since we're getting our hair done, why not get a new outfit too?" Beth suggested.
"Fine, but you're paying," Maggie replied.
"Lucky me."
They went shopping, Sophia had never gone shopping since Ed usually brought home clothes that fit her, so it was new to her. Beth found some really cute clothes for her, and Sophia wasn't used to all the colors and styles, so she went a little nuts. Beth promised to keep an eye on her while Carol and Maggie looked over clothes.
Carol hadn't gotten the choice of bright color shirts and skirts in years. She was overwhelmed. She wasn't sure what even looked good on her, so she picked up a shirt and asked Maggie for her opinion when Maggie asked her something...else.
"Do you think this would look good on me?" Carol asked the same time Maggie asked, "Are you gonna see Daryl?"
Carol lowered the shirt. "I knew it'd be you who brought him up." She set the shirt back and crossed her arms. "I don't know yet."
"If you do, let me know. I'll go with you."
"I'm the older sister," Carol reminded her.
"Well, I've gotten used to the role these past five years."
"Is your revenge guilt tripping me?"
"Yeah, it is."
Carol smiled. "Help me pick an outfit."
"That's Beth's department, but sure. I'll help."
At the end of the shopping trip, Sophia got two new outfits that Beth brought, Carol got an outfit, Maggie bought a pair boots, and Beth bought a necklace. Maggie suggested they return home, Sophia didn't want their day to end, but Beth assured her they'd have plenty of time to do this. Carol nodded at Sophia, confirming what Beth said silently, and Sophia smiled. She liked having a big family. She just wished Uncle Shawn liked her.
As Carol and Sophia got ready for bed that night, Carol noticed how quiet Sophia was. She hadn't said much at dinner or since they got back from riding horses with Beth and Hershel. She knew it had to do with Shawn's comments. Sophia was used to being called by her name, even by Ed, and for Shawn to yell, "Hey, you" at her really upset her. She needed to talk to Shawn, and then Shawn needed to talk to Sophia.
Carol flicked the bathroom light off and sat down on Sophia's bed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She tugged her sock up.
"Don't lie to me."
She sighed. "Uncle Shawn hates me."
"What?"
"He does. I saw it in his face at dinner."
"Honey, Shawn doesn't hate you. He hates me, but never you."
"Then why does he ignore me?" Her eyes were filling. "I tried talking to him, but all he did was look away. What did I do? How do I make it right?"
"Sophia, you don't have to do anything." Carol smiled affectionately at her. "Shawn will come around. His anger at me is making him be very hurtful to you. I'm gonna talk to him."
"He doesn't hate me?"
"No, of course not."
She sniffed and nodded. "I liked the horses."
She smiled. "Did you?"
"Ours was really pretty. Can we do that tomorrow too?"
"Maybe. It depends on the weather. We may have to do it some other day.
"So...we're staying?"
"Why not? We're home."
She smiled and hugged her mom. "I love you, Mommy!"
"I love you too." She squeezed her. "Now, get into bed. It's really late, and we have a lot to do. Grandpa's gonna show you how to do farm work."
"Can I help with animals?"
"And so much more." Carol tapped her nose with her index finger. "Good night, Angel."
Sophia giggled. "Night, Mommy."
Carol moved onto her own bed, and she gazed out the window, hearing Sophia's hushed prayers. Carol closed her eyes, saying a small prayer of her own. She enjoyed the sound of the outdoors lulling her into a deep sleep.
––
Carol walked the farm alone, her boots crunching on sticks, the warm breezing blowing over, knocking her jacket around. Sophia was with Hershel and Beth, and she knew Maggie was probably at the cafe with Jacqui, just to check in on things. Shawn was tending to the horses right now. Carol headed to the stable. They needed to talk or fight. Either way, Sophia would know one way or another how Shawn felt about her.
"Hey." She approached him.
He said nothing, just continued to saddle a horse.
"Fine, I don't need you to talk, just to listen." She crossed her arms. "Sophia, your niece, thinks you hate her. It's upsetting her, Shawn. I know you don't hate her, and you're pissed at me, so just be pissed at me. I can take it, but she's a little girl. All she wants is a family."
Shawn paused in saddling Nelly, glancing briefly at her.
"Just talk to her and let her know you're mad at me. She really wants to get to know you. She...she has your scowl," she tossed in. "And her nose crinkles like yours does when you smell something really—"
"How could you?" Shawn turned.
"How could I what?" Carol frowned.
"After Daryl and what you went through... You just moved on and had a baby with a stranger? I thought you were better than that, but I guess I was wrong."
"I only slept with one guy after Daryl," Carol hissed. "He helped me around campus and with schoolwork, and I thought I was in love with him. We were married, Shawn!"
"You got married?" He scoffed. "Anything else you want to tell me?"
"My pregnancy was unplanned. I was on the pill, and we used protection, but...maybe I forgot or maybe it was meant to be, but I got pregnant. I don't regret it. Sophia is happy and healthy and so loved and loving! I'm not going to wish that way!" She shook her head. "Daryl and I are in the past, and you need to get over it! You weren't in that relationship, only Daryl and I were!`"
"He was my friend, Carol! You screwed him up and just left the broken pieces all over town! How can I try and love that little girl when I don't know that you're staying for good? I lost you last time, and I am not about lose you and her the next time you have "issues"!"
"I am staying. Sophia's happy here, and so I am. I have roots here."
"Yeah, you do." He stroked Nelly's snout. "Go and see Daryl, and I promise you that little girl and I will be best friends."
She scoffed. "Really, Shawn?"
"It's incentive."
"Bite me, you ass."
"There's an image."
She smirked. "Fine, I'll go after lunch."
"All I'm asking."
She turned on her heel, and he called to her. "What?"
"Little munchkin's adorable. Looks just like you."
She smiled. "Tell her that."
"After I hear how Daryl took your return." Shawn watched her leave, and he shook his head. He wanted to get to know Sophia, but he promised Daryl that if Carol ever came back, he would try and get her to see him just once. Shawn assumed it was for closure. Carol loved Sophia more than enough to visit him. Hopefully, it didn't end poorly.