The next morning Daryl woke up feeling good, but quickly grew anxious when he realized that it was almost 9 o'clock. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept that late and he hoped that he hadn't held Beth's family up from their breakfast. He wasn't sure what her family was like, if they showered and dressed for breakfast, and so, he decided he'd rather be safe than sorry and quickly showered and dressed before heading downstairs.
He was greeted by Hershel who was sitting on the couch, still in his bathrobe, and reading the newspaper. He smelled bacon cooking and heard the chatter of two women's voices coming from the kitchen, and he guessed that they belonged to Beth's sister and mother.
"Morning, Daryl" Hershel said, sipping on a large mug of coffee, looking up from his paper. "Sleep well?".
"Yes, sir. I… uh… Sorry I'm so late getting up. I didn't mean to hold anybody up" Daryl said, feeling incredibly self-conscious that he'd slept in.
"Nonsense, son. I just got up myself. And you needed to rest. Big few days ahead." Hershel said.
"Oh… okay. Well… good." Daryl said, looking around, still feeling a bit anxious.
"Sit down, son. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes I'm sure. Want some coffee?" Hershel said.
"Um… Sure. Thanks. I can get it." Daryl said, turning towards the kitchen.
"Annette!" Hershel called out – but Daryl was already making his way towards the kitchen.
He reached the doorway and paused, feeling a bit anxious, realizing he was about to meet Beth's mother and sister for the first time. As much as he'd started to feel at ease with Hershel, he wasn't completely sure what to expect, especially with Maggie. Beth had told him that Maggie had an extreme personality and that often was reflected in everything – she either loved or hated someone, Beth had said, and there wasn't much room for lukewarm feelings with Maggie. He hesitated in the doorway, looking in onto the two women, who were too lost in their own conversation and their breakfast preparations to realize his presence.
"Errr… um… Good morning!" Daryl said, clearing his throat a bit, and bringing both the ladies out of what they were doing and rushing over to greet him.
"You must be, Daryl!" Annette said, greeting him warmly with a hug. "Oh, honey, I am so happy to finally meet you!"
"Thanks for inviting me. I… uh… I appreciate you letting me go with y'all" Daryl said, still feeling a bit nervous. It was in that moment that he felt incredibly out of place, like he was sticking out like a sore thumb. Here he was, he thought, right in the middle of the Greene family's daily life. He'd never had anything like this before – his family had never hugged each other, eaten family meals together, or done many normal family types of things at all really. And although over the years he'd learned that many families did those types of things together, he couldn't help but get nervous when he was faced with them. What if he said or did something wrong?
"Well how in the world would we go without you! We're so happy you're here with us… glad you could come with us to go get our girl!" Annette gushed, grabbing onto Daryl's forearm and giving it a squeeze. And Daryl started to relax. Beth's mom seemed so genuinely happy to meet him and he couldn't help but smile at her comment about "our girl". He was glad that Beth's parents both seemed to approve of his and Beth's relationship and had been willing to let him into their family so easily.
But one glance at Beth's sister made his blood pressure rise again. She had a steely expression on her face, not mean, but definitely not pleasant either.
"You… uh… you must be Maggie" Daryl said to her, hoping to win some favor with the older sister, or at least a smile. "Beth's told me a lot about you…" he added quickly.
"Well… I wish I could say the same about you…" Maggie said, a bit coldly.
"Margaret Ann!" Annette said, turning towards Maggie and shaking her head, a frustrated expression on her face. "Daryl is our guest. And just because you don't really know him yet, doesn't mean you get to act like this…"
"Whatever" Maggie said, turning and heading back to the island in the middle of the kitchen, back to what she'd been working on when Daryl interrupted, putting fruit in little bowls.
"She'll warm up to you" Annette said, leaning into Daryl and speaking in a lower tone, although he was sure that Maggie could still hear. "She's real protective of Beth… and all of this going on with her has been hard on her. Just give her some time."
"Sure… I get it" Daryl responded, nodding his head as he looked down at Annette.
"We'll have lots of time to get to know each other in the car, right?" Annette said, much more loudly now, moving over to the coffee maker and pouring Daryl a cup. He wondered how she knew that he'd come into the kitchen for that – but smiled a little thinking how good of a mother she seemed to be. He was already sure she was one of those moms that just knew what others needed and acted without being asked or prompted. Beth was a lot like that too, he thought, and now he knew where she'd gotten that from.
"Can I… uh… help y'all with anything?" Daryl asked.
"Well yes you can, honey!" Annette said. "Help us carry these plates into the dining room, alright?"
"Sure thing" Daryl said. And he moved towards the counter where Annette had pointed, where she and Maggie had prepared plates with scrambled eggs, bacon, muffins, and fruit. He sat down his coffee mug and picked up two plates, carrying them into the adjacent dining room before returning for the two others. He came back a third time, only to find that Annette was carrying his cup, along with a pitcher of orange juice.
"Hershel!" Annette called out, beckoning him to the table to eat.
They all gathered around the table, Annette indicating to Daryl where to sit.
"This looks wonderful" Daryl said, trying to remember to be polite, hoping he could make it through this meal with Beth's family without making a fool of himself somehow.
Annette just smiled over at him sweetly.
"Let's give thanks" Hershel said. And at first, Daryl wasn't clear on what he meant. But then everyone was reaching their arms out to one another, holding the hands of the people on each side of them, creating a circle around the table. And Daryl quickly realized that Hershel was about to say a blessing. That was another thing he hadn't grown up with. He'd noticed Beth always said a small silent prayer before meals, but he never asked her about it and she never forced him into saying a communal one. But it was obvious in that moment that this was what they did in the Greene family home, and Daryl wanted to do everything he could to fit in, to make sure they accepted him. He took Annette's hand, and then Hershel's and bowed his head.
"Father… We thank you for all the blessings you've given us… and for all the ones we know you will continue to provide. We're thankful for Daryl… for his safe travels here and for what he means to Beth. And we ask that you bless them in their new relationship and in their new home. Please be with Beth… make her feel your presence and, Lord, when she is weak, give her the strength that we know can only come from you. Bless this family as we travel together today and tomorrow. Bring us all back safely to this home. And bless this food we are about to receive… may it make us stronger so that we can may better serve you. In Jesus's name we pray… Amen."
"Amen" Annette and Maggie said softly before raising their head back up, opening their eyes, and dropping their hands back to their laps.
Daryl wasn't sure why, but he felt incredibly moved by Hershel's prayer – his words about he and Beth had seemed so genuine, so kind, and he couldn't help but feel his heart swell at this older man, who'd so graciously accepted him into his home, into his family. Saying the prayer, his voice had been so strong, so certain, and Daryl couldn't help but hope he could be that kind of man for Beth. He looked over at Hershel, giving him a nod of acknowledgement. Hershel squeezed his hand back before letting go and reaching for his fork.
Breakfast passed quickly, Daryl thought, as he lost himself in the easy conversations of the family. He stayed relatively quiet, but spoke occasionally, making sure not to be rude. Maggie talked a lot about her boyfriend, Glenn, who he learned lived in Atlanta. After he finished college he'd taken over managing one of his father's pizza restaurants, but he'd recently accepted a position as an ICE agent with the Department of Homeland Security. He was currently away at a 22-week training program in Brunswick, Georgia and Maggie seemed to be missing him a great deal, as they only allowed visitors every four weeks. Over the course of the breakfast, she seemed to warm up to Daryl, even if just a tiny bit, and Daryl was glad that it seemed that her original frigidness towards him was starting to melt away a little.
Once everyone had finished their breakfast and Daryl helped Annette clear the table, returning to enjoy a last cup of coffee with everyone, Hershel filled everyone in on their specific plans for the next couple of days.
Early that afternoon they all piled into the family's big Suburban, Annette insisting that Daryl sit in the front seat while Hershel drove. It was a beautiful day, and Daryl found himself lost in thought during much of the trip, looking out the window at the sun and the trees and thinking about Beth. He talked to Annette for a bit, mostly answering her questions about his job and him and Beth's new home. The conversation in the car was light, and he was incredibly grateful that this family didn't seem to have the need to fill the space with idle chatter. He was also grateful that Annette didn't ask him too much about his family or his past, although it occurred to him that Beth may have warned her father that that was a sensitive subject for Daryl.
Before he knew it they'd arrived to Ocala, a small town near the center where Beth was. Maggie spotted a restaurant that she thought looked good and Daryl hadn't realized how hungry he was until they'd started eating. He insisted on paying for dinner, even among Hershel's protests, but Daryl figured that it was the least he could do for this family, especially since Hershel had booked and paid for his hotel room and had scoffed at his attempts to pay him back for that or other travel expenses. It struck Daryl, more than once, that this was something else family members did for one another – they took care of things selflessly and without worrying about the cost or getting anything in return.
They checked into their hotel rooms, and all moved on to their rooms, Daryl exchanging some short pleasantries with everyone and confirming their plans for the next morning. As he settled into his room, Daryl couldn't bring himself to do anything other than think about his own anticipation of the following day. He was nervous to see Beth – it'd been so long, seemingly much longer than the reality of the few weeks. How would things be between them? Would anything have changed? He knew they hadn't for him, but he didn't know about Beth. She'd been on a road of self-exploration and healing over the last few weeks and he couldn't help but worry that maybe there was a small chance that she'd see him and realize that she'd made a mistake getting involved with him. And he couldn't stand that thought.
He took a quick shower, turning on the TV, but only flipping through the channels, unable to actually concentrate or care about anything on the screen. He finally turned it off, after he'd realized he passed by the same shows at least four times. He'd just go ahead and get to bed, he reasoned. He knew the next day would start very early and would be long and probably emotional. He also wondered how much he'd be able to sleep the following night, not because of anything sexual, but because he knew he'd just want to enjoy being with Beth, holding her and talking to her, after so much time apart. Surprisingly he didn't have any trouble falling asleep – and the last thought that crossed his mind was that this was the last night for a long, long while that he planned on falling asleep alone.
Thursday morning proved to be just as beautiful as the previous day and as Daryl stepped out of his room he was glad that the weather seemed unseasonably cool for August in Florida. He hoped maybe the weather would stay this way for a few days – he knew how much Beth loved being outside and wanted her to be able to enjoy some time outside while in Georgia without the usual oppressive heat that came with that time of year.
The night before he'd spotted a grocery store next door to the hotel and had decided that he couldn't show up to see Beth empty handed and so, had gotten up extra early to head over to look for some flowers. He knew that grocery store flowers might not be the best, but they'd have to do, he thought – and he knew Beth would love them regardless, just because he'd thought of it. He was pleased with the selection of the flowers in the aisle at Publix, and quickly spotted a big mixed bouquet of yellow and white flowers. They looked so beautiful and cheerful, and a little bit like wild flowers, and he didn't have to look any further for the perfect ones for Beth.
He met Hershel, Annette, and Maggie back at the hotel in time for them to grab a quick bite from the continental breakfast, before they all cleared out of their rooms and climbed back into the car for their short trip to pick up Beth.
Daryl could feel his palms sweating as he clutched the flowers in his lap, the flowers that Annette had pitched a fit over, telling Daryl how sweet he was for even thinking of something like that. He realized it might have been too much, but in that moment he'd told Annette that he loved Beth, that he'd missed her so badly, and that he'd buy her flowers every day for the rest of her life if he thought that'd make her happy. He'd never forget the look of pride on Hershel's face when she said it, or the sweet smile on Annette's. And something about that must have resonated with Maggie, because he noticed a small smile on her face as well and he hoped maybe he was starting to break down those walls she'd built up around her.
They pulled up to the center's parking lot, parked, and Hershel turned in his seat to address everyone.
"I'm going to go in and sign all the paperwork for her release. And then I'll bring her out." He said, instructing everyone to just stay in the car.
Everyone nodded in agreement, a bit of nervous anxiety playing on everyone's face.
"And Daryl… you stay in the car. Let Annette and Maggie get out first. I know I didn't tell ya this, son, but… Beth doesn't know you're coming. I wanted her to be surprised. I'm sorry… but I think it'll be a great thing for her to be surprised that you're here." Hershel said. Daryl could see that Hershel wasn't sure how he'd react to this news, a bit of worry registering in his eyebrows.
"Okay. That sounds good. I'll wait to get out until she's almost in the car." Daryl said. He didn't mind this plan and, in fact, he kind of liked the idea of surprising Beth like this.
Hershel hurried out of the car and inside. The air in the car was eerily quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts, oddly nervous to see Beth. Daryl guessed that the same things that rolled through his mind were also rolling through everyone else's – How would Beth be? Would she be different? What would the conversation be like on the long ride home?
Minutes passed but they seemed like hours to Daryl. He didn't know if he could wait another second until Beth came out, until he could see her with his own eyes again. But finally, right when he thought his heart couldn't pound any harder, he saw the door to the center open and a swirl of blonde hair emerge. And in that moment, he found that his heart could, in fact, beat faster. Annette and Maggie sprang out of the car and it was harder than he'd thought for Daryl to stay put, although he knew it would be worth it in the end.
Beth hurried towards her mother and sister, hugging and kissing them both and greeting them warmly. Daryl was relieved that she looked healthy, happy, and somewhat rejuvenated and she almost had a soft glow about her. She was wearing a long blousy denim top and a pair of bright yellow shorts peaked out from underneath, her hair pulled up into her signature top knot. And Daryl had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life. But he was desperate for her now, to hug her, kiss her, and tell her he loved her. Finally, the three women were moving towards the car, with Hershel trailing behind.
And just as they reached the front of the car, Daryl opened the door, climbing out with flowers in hand and moving into Beth's view. He'd never forget the look that registered on her face when she saw him – it was a mix of shock and absolute joy. And before he knew what was happening, she was closing the space, launching herself up and into him and wrapping her legs around him. It crossed his mind that this was too intimate for the situation, given that her parents and sisters were just a few feet away. But he just couldn't bring himself to care.
"You're here…." She said, shock and surprise registering in her voice, her breath a little labored from the sudden exertion of her body. She was looking at Daryl, her face so close to his. And he couldn't help it, he had to kiss her, even if her family was standing around watching them. He didn't take it too far though, just wanting to give her a chaste acknowledgement of his gratitude that they were finally together.
She hugged him tightly, pressing their chests together and resting her head against the side of his. And in that moment Daryl knew he had to tell her, he couldn't wait another single second.
"I love you. I love you so much, Beth" he whispered into her ear, sure that only she could hear him. He didn't mind that her family knew that, but he wanted to share that with just her, wanting to savor that precious moment between the two of them. And even though there was already absolutely no space between them before, he swore in that moment that she squeezed him even closer into her, almost melding them into one.
"Don't ever let me go" she said into his ear. And Daryl knew that he never would.