She made her way around to the tent and found the small photo album she'd packed in a hurry. It had been made for Daryl. At first, it was only supposed to contain pictures of her pregnant, because she meant to tell him about DJ as soon as DJ was born. Before she knew it, there were pictures of the baby in the crib, then the toddler on his tricycle, and finally the child in a baseball uniform. She carried it around and sat on the tailgate of his truck and he joined her. She handed him the book and he opened it with awe in his eyes.
The first picture was just of the stick with the positive sign. Then there were pictures of her belly and of her standing in the mirror, her belly getting bigger and bigger with every passing picture. Daryl breathed, "Ya were huge!"
She was beautiful. Her hair was real long, hung down past her ass, and her belly was swollen. In every picture, one of those tiny hands rested on it and she was smiling softly. In the first few, there was a red tint to her eyes. He asked, "Were ya cryin' or high in these pictures?"
"I cried for the first two months after I left," she admitted. "When I wasn't at work, I was crying."
"What made ya stop?"
"I felt DJ kick for the first time. I was lying on the couch, crying up a storm about how unfair the world was, and I felt this jolt in my stomach. It was like having a hiccup but way further down. It was the most beautiful thing I ever felt."
"Never got to feel him kick," Daryl said sadly. He was surprised to find that his throat felt tight. He cleared it and turned the page. The first picture of DJ was of him lying in his crib, his identical blue eyes staring up at the camera solemnly and his little hand in his mouth. Daryl's breath caught in his throat and he was shocked to feel a tear sliding down his cheek.
"Daryl, are you okay?"
He looked up at Georgia and growled, "Fuckin' fine."
"Daryl, it's okay to be emotional. Most fathers go through this when their kid is born. You didn't get that then. So you're getting it now."
"Woulda fuckin' been there fer his birth if his god damn dumbass momma hadn'ta kept him a secret for me!"
"And I wouldn't have kept him from you if his god damn dumbass redneck daddy hadn't let his brother hit me."
With that, Georgia got up from the tailgate and started walking off. Daryl yelled after her, "Didn't let him hit ya! Where the fuck do ya think yer going?"
"Going to get something for dinner and check on my son. You can do this yourself."
"Fine! Fuckin' don' want ya near me anyhow!"
Georgia kept walking. Daryl stayed in his spot, looking at the album in front of him. His son was amazing. DJ was big for his age, even when he was really little. There were pictures of him messy from playing out in the mud, working on schoolwork, and grinning up at his momma. There were even report cards tucked into the album from when he started school. He was smart. He must have gotten that from Georgia. Daryl knew that he'd never been much in school. He was really good with his hands, not so good with explaining his processes. He just knew things and he hated when people asked him to explain how or why he knew them.
The kid looked just like him. He had the same dark blonde hair when he was younger and it began darkening even more when he was around six. Daryl mentally compared the pictures of DJ before the apocalypse to the child he'd found in the forest. He was a lot thinner, something Daryl would have to work on. He didn't want his boy going around hungry. Kid was tall though. He grew like Daryl grew, really quick until he hit his peak. Daryl was of a pretty good height. About 5'11, 6 foot. 6'2" if he had his work boots on. DJ was already the size of Carl and Carl was ten or eleven. Daryl hadn't bothered to learn the kid's age. DJ had the same scowl as him when he was pissed off. The same narrowing of the eyes and turning down of the left side of the face. He got lucky. He didn't have the damn little mole that girls seemed to like so much. That Georgia liked so much. She was always kissing on it when they were together. Before she left for work or before she went to sleep, she'd lean up and kiss him right above his lips, right on that little mark. Then she'd press her lips to his and that would be it.
He scoured those photo albums in the hour that she was gone. He knew she was over by the campsite, talking to Carol and ignoring Lori. He was busy memorizing every single photo in the album, every report card, every uniform, everything. He wanted to know DJ like Georgia did. He didn't know how to be a daddy but he was damned if he wasn't going to try. When he saw DJ and Georgia coming up, he closed the album quickly and shoved it towards the cab of the truck. DJ was scowling up at his mother. He was fresh scrubbed from the shower and he was carrying a bowl of food.
"Don' be frownin' at yer momma, boy," Daryl warned. DJ scowled at him and handed him the bowl of food.
"I ate in the house with Mom and Carol. Mom says I have to apologize to Carl for hitting him."
"What fer?" Daryl cried out. "Lil brat started the fight!"
"Daryl," Georgia warned, soft and low, "shut up."
"He did, stealin' from someone ain't right an it's a good thing DJ got holda him. What if he'd gone 'round playin' wit the damn gun. Coulda got somebody killed!"
"Daryl, it wasn't right what Carl did and I don't want DJ to apologize for standing up for what was right. I want DJ to apologize for punching Carl in the face. We've been working on that particular problem for a few years now."
"Ain't a problem. Kid's gotta defend hisself an he did."
"Daryl, now isn't the time for this conversation."
"Daryl's right, Mom. I took care of the problem!" Georgia sighed and kissed him on top of the head.
"I know you did, baby. You did so well and I'm so proud of you. But, we want to make peace with this group. We want to stay a part of this group, so I want you to go on up there and talk to Carl and tell him you won't hit him in the face again."
"And if he hits me?" DJ demanded.
"Knock his ass out," Daryl ordered.
"Mom?"
"Knock his ass out. Don't let anybody beat on you. Ever."
DJ nodded and Georgia kissed him on the forehead before shoving him towards the camp. He walked away and Daryl demanded, "Shouldn' we go with him! What if somebody says somethin' to him? What if somebody runs their mouth?"
"Daryl, act like you did yesterday. Act like you don't know anything is different."
"Tis different! I got a son! I got a kid!"
"And now really isn't the best time to tell him."
"I know. He needs to get to bed soon. It kin wait 'til mornin'."
"No, Daryl." She knew he was pissed as soon as she said it. His blue eyes were blazing. "Now, like for a while, isn't the best time."
"Whaddaya mean? He oughta know he's got a daddy out there that cares 'bout him an his momma. Oughta know I want him!"
"Then show him in other ways. Be a father figure to him and we'll tell him soon enough. But right now is not the time. The world just ended, he has been yanked away from everything he has ever known, isolated from other people for three months, and now thrown into a group of people he doesn't know. I don't want to throw any more surprises at him. I want to give him time to adjust first. I just want him to have a little bit of normal in his life for a while."
"Ain't nothin' normal 'bout life no more."
"Daryl, I know you care about him, but you don't know him. I've been a mother for eight years. You've been his father for a day."
"Woulda been his father longer if ya hadn't kept him from me."
"I know, Daryl, but my mistake is not the point. I have to do what I think is right for him."
"Not knowin' his own daddy is what's right fer him?"
"For right now. I promise, we will tell him. Just be a good role model to him for right now."
"I ain't been a good role model? I fuckin' hunt fer this group! I was out there ever' fuckin' day lookin' fer that lil girl an now her momma's tellin' me to give up 'cause she did! I been fuckin' doin' everythin' I kin fer this damn group but I ain't a damn good role model?"
"Shut the fuck up for two seconds and listen to me, Daryl! This isn't about you or me or about what I didn't do or about what you did do! This is about my boy! This is about our son! And you need to do what's best for him, not what's best for you!"
"Fuckin' fine! When? When do I getta tell him? When does my son getta know who I am to him?"
"I don't know, Daryl. It won't be that long. He just needs a little time to adjust. He just needs time."
"Fuckin' fine. But we're gonna tell him! Together! Ya ain't tellin' my boy 'bout me the same way ya told me 'bout him! I won' fuckin' let it happen, Georgia Rayne. An' ya ain't makin' decisions 'bout him no more without me. When it comes to him, we both decide shit. We both take care of him, ya got it?"
"I understand." She turned to walk to the tent and Daryl's arm shot out to grab her forearm tightly. She turned to look into those desperate blue eyes and shivered at the intensity in them.
"Promise me, Georgia Rayne. Swear it to me that ya ain't gonna take my boy an hightail it outta here. Swear that ya ain't gonna leave 'gain wit my son."
"I swear, Daryl. DJ and I are here, with you now."