Chapter 14

April 26, 2014

Dwight stepped outside on Daryl's porch in the early morning as he brought a cigarette and lighter in tow. Sitting on a lounge chair, he watched the sun peek out from behind trees.

Everything was in motion now. Sherry accepted both his proposal and the idea that their wedding be the day after. It had been more of a suggestion and if she refused either, he would gladly give her all the time in the world to mull things over. Fortunately for Dwight, she liked him as much as he liked her.

With a sigh, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees while deep in thought. Dwight smirked as he breathed in the day knowing that it was going to be their day. A lot would change but some things would remain the same as they had been before.

Dwight never met Sherry's father or mother, Vincent and Annie Ciccone. She spoke of them infrequently but when she did open up about her past life, he got an idea of the kind of people that they were. He knew her father as the protective type; especially with his only child. Her mother was warm even if she was sometimes high strung as Sherry recollected her to be. Sherry never doubted that both her parents loved her. Strong in their Catholic faith, he knew they would want their daughter taken care of with the expectations that Sherry independently placed for herself. Sherry believed in God in ways that Dwight couldn't yet fathom how but he trusted her opinion and held it in high regard. Even though he didn't know if Sherry wanted a wedding or not, he asked and hoped that she would agree.

He wanted things to be what she wanted them to be before life took a detour. Whatever she pictured for herself before the world ended was what he wanted to take place because she deserved it. Dwight didn't consider himself much of a romantic with his other girlfriend's many years before. But with Sherry, he wanted to give her everything that was in his power to attain for her. For her, he would.

…

Sherry heard light chatter in the other room from her friends as their voices sounded delighted for the upcoming events of the day. Still in bed, Sherry played with her engagement ring while staring at it in awe. In near disbelief that it was hers to wear forever, she glanced at other things in shock that everything in her house was a gift from her soon-husband. She could cry at the notion but decided to breathe in the bliss that literally encompassed her.

The door slowly opened as Christy's voice rang in the room, "Rise and shine! It's nine in the morning, we let you have your beauty rest, but now it's time to start getting ready with a couple of things. First is making last minute adjustments to your dress."

Sherry's head popped up from the covers as she looked to Christy with curiosity. "Dress?"

"Yes, a dress," Christy reiterated and peered at Sherry, "Honestly, you think I would plan an event like this without thinking of a wedding dress? When I say I thought of everything, I meant it."

Sherry sat up while observing Christy for a moment before speaking. "How much did you plan?"

"That's for you to find out later today," Christy answered vaguely, "Oh and you aren't allowed to leave this house until we leave for the church."

"Whose decision was that?" Sherry questioned with a smile as she stretched then rolled out of bed.

"Mine," Christy revealed, "Everything is to have a sense of newness to it. I want every detail to have a wow-factor."

"I'm sure I would be just as wowed regardless," Sherry replied warmly and gave Christy a hug, "Thank you."

…

Rick stared at the pavilion going up beside the reservoir while standing at the watch tower. With pride, he turned his gaze towards everything else in Alexandria and breathed a confident sigh. Walkers were scarce for the day to which was another relief. Of all days, they didn't need to worry about a herd.

He thought about what he said to Negan in Hilltop before they carted him away to his permanent prison cell. Rick said that they could thrive. While overlooking his town in satisfaction, he thought about Hilltop, Kingdom, New Haven, and all the other communities in between that were doing so well without the taxation and "protection" of the Saviors.

It would have been so easy to let Negan win. They could have given Negan half of their belongings while scampering to find more but they would have also endured the constant harassment from his men. It was tempting to do so after what happened to Glenn...Abraham...Deanna...Eric...and countless more who gave their lives to defend something more.

As Rick looked over Alexandria, he was able to see that their lives didn't end for nothing. Children could grow and learn how to fortify their home for the new generation to come. Without Negan, the world moved on. And they had thrived.

…

Sherry examined herself in the bathroom mirror with her wedding dress on. Christy just finished putting her hair up in an elaborate way as Sherry's scalp already felt bruised from the ridiculous amount of bobby pins that were used in the process. Megan helped with makeup as Sherry looked at herself in the mirror. It had been awhile since she wore any kind of concealment on her face. Some scars that she received a year ago were touched up and were nonexistent for her special day.

She could hear the girls laugh in another part of her house as she stood all by herself in the bathroom just looking herself up and down. She was appreciative of the time that she had to herself as she thought of what was going to happen in the next several hours. She stepped away from the counter to get a look at the bigger picture. The dress had a somewhat plunging V-neck but didn't reach past her sternum. The back matched the front but fit snugly. Sherry was worried that her upper half would feel too exposed for the day but she trusted the instincts of the girls that found it. Once she tried it on, she knew that all body parts would stay firmly in place. The style was almost vintage and reminiscent of the '60's with its lower half being just past the knee line and the bodice line coming slightly above her hip bone. The sleeveless gown showed off a slender figure in contrast to the bustled out skirt.

She turned side to side to inspect herself and was pleased with the way the dress fit on her. It was perfect in every way. She then twisted once more to get a view of the back and see if the dress laid properly but instead got a glimpse of the markings on her back in their full glory. A sharp pain formed in her stomach immediately upon seeing it as she felt taken back to when her days were a lot darker.

Some things were unresolved. She understood that and remembered the symbolic thorn still pricking at her inside. A lot of things she wished could be swept under the rug like it never happened but she was constantly being harassed by the memories that still lingered and disturbed her greatly.

What are you doing, Sherry? She knew that she had to take care of some things sooner and not later. She was getting married in a few hours to her best friend and wanted to be there for Dwight whenever he needed her to be. Sherry wondered if she would be able to perform the task as his wife if she still had some demons still hiding in her closet. Of course, she knew that some memories would always haunt her. Dwight had told her countless times that he would help her throughout all of it. Admittedly, it was a slower process than she would have liked but there was one particular thing that she had to take care of before she got married. She dreaded the thought but knew it had to happen soon. She couldn't in good conscience say her vows with another man before burying the other that consistently invaded her mind. She had to say goodbye. She had to see him.

Megan knocked on the bathroom door and looked at Sherry with adoration. "Oh Sherry!" She exclaimed, "That dress looks gorgeous on you!" Her excitement wore off when she read the look on Sherry's face. "What's wrong?"

"I need to see Dwight right now," Sherry responded with slight worry in her voice.

There was a pause as Megan scanned her friend's face with concern. "Is everything okay? Can I help?" Megan asked.

"I just need Dwight," Sherry reiterated, "It's important." She walked out of the room and stepped out of the house as the girls watched her curiously from the living room.

"What's going on?" Sherry could hear Christy ask behind her.

"I have no idea," Megan replied back faintly to her as Sherry made her way to Daryl's house where she knew Dwight would be.

…

"You look fancy," Dwight said sardonically while tying his black tie in Daryl's living room. He looked to Daryl who just sat on the couch fidgeting with his own cigarette and lighter.

Daryl snorted from Dwight's remark. "Shut up," he growled and he looked down at his black button up shirt. Everyone was alright with dressing up with a suit and tie except Daryl who opted for a black shirt instead. Dwight didn't mind. He even thought it was comical when the ladies tried to pressure and plead with him to wear something more formal. They couldn't budge.

"Ever think of having one of these days for yourself?" Dwight asked him.

"What? A wedding?" Daryl scoffed and then put on a serious face ridden with sadness as Dwight immediately became aware of something that he didn't know or understand. "Nah," was all Daryl said and then took another drag.

"I'm sorry, man," Dwight said sincerely. He knew of someone but didn't know the entire situation revolving around it. Feeling guilty for involving Daryl in his wedding in the first place, he folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. "If you want to skip out on today, you're more than welcome to."

Daryl shook his head, "It's fine."

As Dwight was about to say something, they heard a knock on the door. Both looking at each other, they shrugged while not expecting company. Daryl stepped towards the door since it was his house as another knock sounded while Dwight could hear the impatience of the person already.

"I'm comin'!" Daryl shouted while annoyed that whoever it was, seemed like they couldn't wait one more minute. When he opened the door, Daryl appeared stunned while Dwight only saw Daryl and not the person on the other side of the threshold.

Daryl got over his surprise than looked to Dwight with slight worry as Dwight grinded his teeth while mirroring his friend's apprehension. This doesn't seem like it can be good.

…

Dwight leaned against the railing on Daryl's porch as Sherry kept pacing back and forth. Twiddling his thumbs, he had already gotten over the shock of seeing her wedding dress as he waited to find out what was so urgent that she couldn't wait to tell. He did, however, make a mental note that she was nothing short of perfection with the way she appeared. He thought she was beautiful every day but the image of seeing her in a wedding dress was something special in and of itself.

Sherry looked down at the porch beneath her and closed her eyes. Dwight watched her as he waited for a response while on the edge of his seat. He mentally crossed his fingers hoping that she didn't change her mind. He didn't know if he could take rejection when she had already accepted his proposal but knew if she did, he had to respect that was her choice.

Tears sprung from her eyes as they fell down her cheeks. He waited patiently but only wanted to comfort her in any way possible. "Sher, please tell me what's wrong."

"I need to do something before we do this," Sherry revealed as she took a deep breath and looked at him.

"You name it," Dwight responded, "If it's important to you, then it's important to me."

"You won't like it," Sherry said.

"Try me," He tested back at her. Dwight could already piece together what her request might be. It didn't sit well with him but he knew it was for a good reason. He knew it would help her move on.

"I need to see Negan," Sherry said quickly as she walked closer to him and touched his forearm, "There are just some things I need to say and I will be done. I just know if I put it off, it will be unfair to you. I need to shut a part of my life away and keep it in the past where it belongs."

He put his hand over hers and stroked her fingers with his thumb. Dwight trusted Sherry. And he knew that her past wasn't the happiest. It made sense that she would want to end it in such a way. She probably felt safe knowing Negan would be behind bars and not able to try anything. Dwight understood why she needed to speak to Negan. And he wasn't going to try and stop her.

"I'll take you there myself," Dwight said as he looked into her dark eyes.

Sherry looked somewhat surprised and gave him a hug. "I know this doesn't make sense but thanks for understanding," she said to him while he held her in the embrace.

"On the contrary, it makes perfect sense," Dwight assured and kissed her cheek. Loosening his hold he instead offered her his hand with a smile. "Let's take care of this."

…

Negan woke up and could sense that he wasn't alone in his prison cell. He jolted up quickly from his rest on the cot and looked beyond the cell to see the last person who he ever thought would visit him. She watched him as she sat on the bench on the other side of the wall with her arms folded. She had a knee length cream dress that had a deep V-neck. This was the most of a female Negan had seen in awhile and he admitted to himself that he was aroused by heru presence. Who it actually was didn't help either.

"Came to visit me after all this time?" Negan was the first person to speak as she continued to eye him with her big brown eyes.

"I just needed to get some things off my chest," Sherry explained as she put both palms on the bench next to her on each side as she leaned forward slightly. Negan noticed she moved a lot when she was nervous about something or trying to collect her thoughts. It was one of the quirks he liked about her.

"You can start with that dress," Negan joked and winked in her direction. She looked downward, uncomfortable by the remark as Negan tried to think of a way to backpedal what he said. "You look beautiful," he said sincerely.

Sherry made a small smile as he knew she took it the way he meant it. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"What's the occasion?" Negan asked.

"I'm getting married today," Sherry said in all seriousness.

Negan scoffed but tried to keep it toned down so she wouldn't leave sooner than she felt she had to. He enjoyed her company despite their past history. "Who's the lucky guy?" He asked.

"Dwight," Sherry said quietly.

Negan took in a deep breath to fight off the sting of betrayal he couldn't help but feel. "Did my other girls find some gentlemen they fancy?" He asked sarcastically.

Sherry looked annoyed from something that he probably said but he couldn't think of what came out of his mouth that was remotely insulting. He was on his best behavior at that moment. "I think they've all moved on. They are all very happy," she disclosed as she stood up. Her dress stood out and showed off her body impressively. She stepped closer to the cell and put her hands on the metal.

"You said you have some things that you need to get off your chest," Negan said as he stood just inches away from her. He took his fingers to touch hers as she didn't make an effort to move. "Say it," he whispered with soft encouragement as he moved his head closer to hers and looked down at her beautiful round face.

She looked up to him with conflict apparent on her face. "So many times I told myself that I hated you for the things you did to me and others around you. But other times you made me feel something for you. I can't pretend that at one point I did have feelings. I didn't understand it. But now that I have been a healthy distance away from you, I can see clearly that it wasn't real."

"It was real," Negan argued quietly on his behalf and held her other hand.

"No," Sherry disagreed with almost a pleading voice, "I need you to admit that you hurt me. I need to hear that you have even a tiny ounce of guilt for what you put me through."

Negan looked down and then back into her eyes. He could feel his own conflict arising in his own being as he knew he couldn't lie to her. "Sherry I really did love you," he began, "I still do." Negan looked at his hand over hers and took in the human interaction that he was having with gratitude. "And I did hurt you. More than once. In more ways than one," Negan admitted as he felt better for saying it out loud even though he didn't utter it before.

Sherry looked down as Negan took the opportunity to smell her hair. "Won't your new husband be upset that you're here?" He asked.

"He's upstairs," Sherry replied, "He knows I'm here."

"Dwight was always so sentimental," Negan nearly seethed while rolling his eyes.

"I just wanted to say goodbye," Sherry said in her sweet voice, "I wanted to before but I had to do it before later today. After this, I don't have any intention of seeing you ever again."

"Don't say that," Negan said painfully as he felt he had been punched in the stomach.

"Negan, I'm moving on," Sherry said with more sadness than he thought she would have when it came to him. She looked at him with such tenderness mixed with heartache as a tear fell down her cheek.

As much as Negan didn't want to admit it, he knew that any attraction she felt towards him was unhealthy. He knew he was terribly unfair to her in the past and that he would never change or get a second chance when it came to Sherry. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through, Sherry," Negan said in a heavy voice, "If I had a do-over for anything, it would have been how I treated you. I just didn't know how to handle the way I felt for you with how the world was."

"That does make me feel a little bit better," Sherry revealed and looked up at him in a tearful stare. He felt his head move closer to hers as if being drawn like a magnet. Their foreheads touched as he felt he could easily kiss her. He wanted to but knew she wouldn't like it but he entertained the thought regardless. "Goodbye, Negan," she said quietly with sweet emotion. With that, her hands slipped away from his grasp and she quickly walked up the stairs.

He felt a lump form in his throat as the best woman in his life walked away from him. He sat on his cot and put his hands to his forehead as he tried to shut her out of his mind. But he knew their encounter would haunt him for as long as he stayed in his little cell. It would be all he thought about for a very long time.