epilogue
Carol watched as Daryl carried their new baby around the yard in his arms with Joey running ahead and their toddler trying to keep up, she laughed as Shane picked her up from behind and tossed her in the air. The past five years had been tough, happy times and sad times but it was Daryl and Shane who pulled her through it. They never went back to their house, they brought the farm, sold the house and the garage and moved into the old farm house which was what she did want when she saw it.
It was hard not going back but they had pictures of Merle and Rick around to remember them daily. Shane and his partner moved in above the garage and Andrea had a self contained wee flat across the back yard. They had all the money in the world that they didn't have to go back to work and for the first year they all took stock and renovated the farm house. Slowly Shane and Andrea went back to work and Daryl worked on the farm. Carol never went back but joining baby gym classes and becoming what she always wanted staying at home with her babies because she wanted too.
She thought she would go back to work but until she really felt like she wanted too there was plenty too do. She also started writing children's books for her own children paying to get them turned into books then slowly but surely so far had had one book picked up and published across America and could be found in any children's book shops. Most of all they had started the family she had always wanted but didn't know how to go about having until they moved into the farm with everyone.
She still thought about them everyday, they held part of her heart, but she looked out the window and waved to everyone who was holding the rest of her heart. Her family, the odds and sods that they were.