~ Blossoming ~
Rick sat on the back deck. Judith played at his feet, her delightful baby babbling interrupting the otherwise quiet evening. Inside, the boys' voices carried as they wagered and argued over a passionate game of Uno. Rick heard a softer tone join the heavier voices and reasoned that Enid had arrived. As he glanced down at his daughter, he realized that the Alexandria Safe Zone had become home and he didn't know when the change happened.
Smoke drifted from the barbecue grill. Skinned and quartered rabbits marinated in the refrigerator. On a recent run, Glenn returned with an apron that said, 'BBQ is man's work' and Michonne had goaded Rick into wearing it today. For now, it was draped across his lap. The ties fascinated Judith and she tugged and swatted the ends with wild, baby abandon.
Contentment threatened to take hold of him, and the thought frightened Rick. Of course, he wanted his family to feel safe, but he knew better. He knew what was out there and what could ruin their attempts to make their new home stable. Judith waddled to her feet. Her balance wasn't perfect, but she stood longer each time she tried. A watery grin brightened her eyes as their gazes connected. Rick smiled, resisting the urge to prevent her fall.
"You're growing up so fast," he murmured. "We have to make this work."
Judith tumbled to the wooden floorboards. A moment passed and Rick saw the urge to cry lose to a fitful of giggles. She then tried again.
"She'll be walking before the end of the week," Michonne said, stepping outside to join them.
"You're early."
"Sasha came in and I came home," she said and dropped to her knees. "I can't resist. I have to try."
Rick shifted to watch her beckon to Judith with a soft waving of her hands. Her dark eyes and skin glowed. She took his breath away and he reveled in the sensation. She had pulled her locs into a ponytail, but a few rebels caressed her cheeks. Later, they would make love and sometime in between, he would remember this moment. Her gentleness and care with his daughter. How she transformed the four walls and a roof into a home. How she was blossoming before his eyes, revealing all facets that made her more than a fierce warrior but also a remarkable woman. An amazing woman that he loved.
"It's okay," Michonne said, her voice tender and inviting. "Come to me."
Judith's first step wavered. The next couple steps were true. The final step took her right into Michonne's waiting arms. "Ma Ma," the baby said in triumph.
Michonne lifted Judith into her arms and held her in an embrace that Rick swore he felt despite the distance that separated them. He went to the two most important females in his life. Michonne blinked, but not before he noticed the wetness brimming her eyes.
"I never told her to…" she said in a hoarse whisper. "Not once."
He rubbed his daughter's back. The baby grinned at him, but she did not extend her arms for Rick to hold her.
"I know you didn't," he said, "but it's okay. You're the only mother she's known."
Closing her eyes, Michonne nodded. "It feels right and wrong at the same time. Carl may not… I'll teach her not to."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I said it's okay. Let her be. Carl will be fine."
She opened her eyes and nodded again. "It's been a long time."
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"The best I've been in a while."
He kissed her cheek and indulged in a quick nuzzle of her neck. "I love you."
Standing without a centimeter separating them, he felt her sharp hitch of breath, as clearly as he heard it. His admission was met with silence. In the past, he would have been unnerved by the quiet, but he understood her. Michonne didn't have to say aloud what Rick already knew. She had shown him in over a thousand ways that she loved him, too. While Rick could not be content with feeling too safe in their new home, he was more than comfortable giving her the space to say what she felt when she was ready.
[Author's note: Thank you, everyone, for reading! I appreciate your interest in the story and your feedback! I can't wait for Sunday's episode. Finally!]