Daryl brought his guitar to work hoping to save some time wherever he could. He didn't like to leave it in the cab of the truck but it would mean he could spend a few more minutes at her house later. He tried to conceal the high that he was still riding out from the night before. More for his own good than anyone else's, no one at work really talked to him so it wasn't that hard to do. The mindless repetition of using the metal press gave him ample time to run over every detail, to replay every moment of doubt he had. The day dragged by more slowly than he ever thought it could. He read Beth's text on his lunch break, saying that Maggie was making dinner and he should stay after they practiced if he wanted to. The second one said she wanted him to. He tried not to think about how happy he was to be included.

Daryl didn't want to think about how quickly he made it back to his truck when his shift ended or how he made sure to drive the route to her house that had the least amount of lights. He made himself wait outside and wave to her from the sidewalk. He couldn't help the heat that came up his neck when she kissed him as he walked into the stairwell, his fingers tangled in her hair all on their own. Running through their short set was easy to do. Beth knew the songs and he had practiced the couple she had picked out. There was no guilt in letting his eyes rest on her. He smiled at her when she caught him looking, she smiled back. Her hand reached out to his every now and then and he didn't have to fight much to stay still. He told her work was alright but didn't trust himself to say much more than that. She told him about her day, going to class, the weird girl who asked her if the cafeteria sold food, and popped open a beer for each of them while they waited for her sister and Glenn. He listened to everything she said and watched the way her face reacted to each anecdote.

They sat out on the front porch and Daryl couldn't help but wish that this was his everyday instead of just one day he knew he would always remember. He memorized the color of the sky as the sun started to melt into the horizon and the way Maggie's tag sale patio set dug into his back. He let his fingers run over the ragged edges of the bottle cap he had taken off the counter as he watched Beth play simple scales on his guitar. When Maggie called them he took the guitar and helped her up. Daryl didn't let go of her hand once she was standing. She kissed him before they went inside.

They ate overcooked spaghetti and dry meatballs. They laughed. It was the first time Daryl sat down to a family dinner and no one left the table crying. After dinner they drank beer but didn't yell or throw things at each other. They played a stupid card game where you had to come up with the strangest combination of things to win. Glenn beat them all, the cards all went back in the box, none of them were ripped or drenched in beer, not that his house had ever had any board games to ruin. Daryl had never thought he could fit in to this kind of picture and not feel out of place, but every time he felt himself pulling away Beth would reach out and lay her hand on his knee or shoot him a smile to let him know he could belong there.

Maggie went into the kitchen for another round of beers and came back holding Beth's phone. "This things going off like crazy. Zach keeps texting you asking when you're going out again?"

Daryl huffed and turned to look out the window, he could feel his defenses rise back up into place as a surge of jealousy came over him.

"Yeah, he keeps bugging me about singing with him." Beth shot a glance Daryl's way as she typed back a response. "I told him I'd let him know if I was going to, he's probably trying to figure out a setlist."

He snorted and looked at her through the corner of his eye.

"He's in both my classes Daryl. What should I do? I'm gonna see him nearly everyday."

Before he could answer her the phone in her hand started ringing and she answered it right away, "Hey, Zach."

Daryl stood and shook his head. "You do whatever you want, sweetheart." His voice was so low she hardly caught his words as he walked past her out the front door, his boots fell heavy on the porch steps.

Beth hung up with Zach and made it out the door just in time to see Daryl climb into his truck with his phone pressed to his ear.

Daryl felt his phone vibrate in his pocket as he tried to calm himself down. He was pacing back and forth in front of the house cursing himself for letting some punk kid make him feel so low and unwanted in the span of two minutes, for leaving himself so open to Beth that the idea of her spending time with someone other than him could cut into him so deep. He answered the call with a snarling, rough voice.

"What?"

"Mr. Dixon?"

"Yeah?"

"This is Laura, I'm out in the hall of your building, I just wanted to call you and let you know I'm leaving. I'm not going to file a complaint or anything but I can't stay, I'm sorry."

All of the fight in his chest dissipated leaving him deflated and defeated. "I'll be right there."

"I'll leave your key on the table."