A/N: Sooooo, it's been a while, huh? I sincerely apologize - I had no intentions of taking so long to get to this chapter. But life happened, and Richonne keeps happening, and I've just been super distracted for the past... damn, almost two months. Okay. I'm gonna let you guys get to the chapter, but I just wanna say thank you so much for your support. You guys' reviews are such a source of inspiration (Cast Some Light, your last review cured my depression, paid my bills, etc.) and I don't deserve y'all, but I love you. So much. I hope you enjoy this one! And I'm gonna get started on the next one now, because I wanna get it to you asap. -Ash

4 – The Kids Are Alright

"Wait a minute!" Judith exasperatedly covered her face with her hand, as it seemed the conversation she'd been having with her friend for the past five minutes was going awry. "I thought we were talking about soccer! You mean to tell me you play football?"

Andre let out a small sigh and stopped shoveling sand into his bucket long enough to explain to her, "Football and soccer are the same thing, Judith."

"No," she shook her head adamantly. She knew because she played soccer herself, and often spent her Sundays watching her father and godfather yell at the television while they watched Falcons games. "Football is with the long brown ball. Soccer is with the black and white one."

"I know, but that's only in America," he calmly clarified. "All over the rest of the world," he gestured with wide arms, "soccer is football."

"What?" she practically shrieked. "Why?"

Andre shrugged as he resumed his task of sandcastle-building. "That's just the way it is."

"That's silly," she declared in her most matter-of-fact tone. "What do they call the regular football in the other places then?"

"American football," he guessed, as that was what the people of Anguilla would refer to it as. "I dunno."

"Well I don't wanna say 'soccer' anymore," Judith decided in that moment. "I'm gonna use football from now on."

"But you live in America, so people are gonna think you're talking about the American football."

She gazed at Andre blankly for a moment as she tried to conceive a solution to that dilemma. "I can call it 'soccer-football,'" she offered. "I'll get my whole team to call it that."

"Maybe… you can call it soccer when you're in America, and when you come here, you can call it football."

Judith sighed at having to compromise, but she had to admit that did sound like the best option. At least until her home country could get on board. "Okay."

Michonne grinned in amusement as she listened to the kids' converse, admiring their intelligence, observing their distinct personalities. She'd essentially been eavesdropping for the past hour as they debated everything under the sun, from the merits of home school versus private school, to the adventures of Doc McStuffins and Phineas and Ferb, to their excitement over the return of the Planet Earth series. They got along like two old friends, similar to the way she and Rick did, and it was so entertaining, she hadn't even cracked open her book. She'd barely gotten two hours of sleep thanks to her own adventures with Rick, so when Andre woke her up at 6:30, asking to go to the beach, she wasn't exactly thrilled. But there was no denying that this was a perfect way to start her day.

"Hey, kiddos," she called out to them, hating to interrupt their spirited discussion. But it was nearly 8:00am, and she needed to get breakfast going for her guests. "It's about time to pack up and head on back."

Andre let out a quiet groan of disappointment, while Judith dramatically laid herself out in the sand in a form of protest. "Do we have to?"

"Yes, we do," Michonne chuckled, ignoring her antics. "Aren't you guys hungry?"

"Nope!" Andre answered for them both, his attempt to get a little more time on the beach.

Conversely, Judith excitedly raised her hand as she lifted herself from the ground. "I am!"

"Judith." He frowned at her sabotage, but knew he'd already lost the battle, so he slowly began to collect their toys.

"We can come back out this afternoon," Michonne promised with a sympathetic smile. "Or maybe if you're nice to Carl, he'll take you out after breakfast."

"He's not gonna do that, Auntie," Judith answered knowingly.

She couldn't help but chuckle at her perceptive tone, questioning how she could be so sure. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm nice to him all the time, and he never takes me to the beach."

Andre and Michonne both laughed at her, while Michonne approached the duo to wipe the sand from their hair and clothes. "Well we'll see what happens," she submitted as a cap to the conversation. Within another couple of minutes, the three of them had gathered their things and were headed back to the B & B; the kids walking just a few feet ahead of Michonne, picking up seashells along the way as they continued their random musings.

"Andre?" Judith stopped to pick up a cockle shell for their collection before continuing with her question. "What is it like to have a mommy?"

Michonne felt her stomach drop when she heard the question, even if she knew Judith probably didn't mean it in the weighty, heartbreaking way that she took it. She likely didn't remember Lori very well, so it wasn't about missing her. It was a curiosity more than anything. She understood that. But having that logic didn't stop her heart from cracking in half as she thought about this five-year-old navigating the world without a mother. It reminded her of Rick asking what it felt like to be free. The reality was that even after two years, Lori's death left an aching hole in this family that would likely never be filled.

"I dunno," Andre eventually shrugged in reply. "I always had one, so... it's just regular to me. I always have somebody to take care of me and talk to."

"Oh..."

Judith seemed disappointed by that answer, and Michonne desperately wanted to step in, but instead, Andre submitted his own question to the conversation, and it came out of his mouth, she felt her breath hitch in her throat.

"What is it like to have a daddy?"

"It's good," she nodded enthusiastically. "My daddy does everything for me."

"He makes you breakfast?" he wondered.

"He makes me breakfast and lunch and dinner." Her voice went lower as she appended, "But it's not always good."

"Well that's the same things my mom does for me, so maybe you don't even need a mommy."

"Yeah…" she granted, her typically chipper voice turning somber. "But most of the kids at school have one. My friend Harley has two," she added, holding up her index and middle fingers to emphasize her point.

"Well some people have two daddies and don't have a mom," Andre tried to rationalize for both himself and his friend. "All families are all different, and that's okay."

"I know," she exhaled sharply. Because knowing that didn't stop her from wanting to have one like everyone else.

"I can share my mommy with you if you want," he suggested as if he were offering to share a sandwich with her. "She makes you do math even if you hate it, but she's a really good one."

Judith lit up at the idea of having her godmother as an actual mother, showing off her toothy little grin as she picked up another seashell and threw it into their pail. "And you can share my daddy with me!"

Andre scrunched his face in response, his twinkling dark brown eyes squinting at her. "But what if I like having him as my uncle?"

"He's not your real uncle," she reminded him. "Trust me, he's a really good daddy. You'll love it."

Michonne couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry as she listened to this conversation, these two precocious kids revealing feelings they probably didn't even realize they had. Hearing Andre ask about a father, something she'd been insecure about since the day Mike stopped being one, undeniably rattled her. But the kindness these children showed to one another, the wisdom in their words, it gave her hope; made her smile. But those emotions were warring with each other, and the sad ones were winning out. Which was not the way she wanted to start her day.

Meanwhile, back at the resort, Rick and Shane were up and at it, hanging in the lounge area as they enjoyed a pot of coffee Carol brewed for them before leaving for the airport. They were mostly sitting in comfortable silence – a typical morning for the two, only now, they had the added bonus of an incredible view just ahead of them. But Shane couldn't help but notice the smile on Rick's face – a small one, but a smile nonetheless – as they sat there not talking, and he wondered what was on his friend's mind. He liked to think that being on vacation and getting to relax just had him this happy.

"I gotta tell you, man," Shane started to say as he set down his mug of the Panamanian blend, "I'm real glad you finally decided to do this whole thing."

Rick looked over to his best friend as if half of his sentence was in a different language. "I decided?" he repeated him, chuckling. "This was what Lori wanted."

"Yeah, but you've been puttin' it off forever, always talkin' about, 'Uhh, now's not a good time'," he grinned, doing his best impression of Rick's mellow drawl. "Actin' like you haven't needed a vacation for 'bout five years now."

"Okay," he playfully rolled his eyes. "I guess you know better than I do."

"Well I do. I know how much you're at the job. And when you're not there, you're worried about gettin' Carl or Judith some place or another. You work too hard, man."

"Yeah well, you'll know that feeling all too well in about three months," he prophesized.

Shane let out a delighted sigh at the simple thought of finally meeting his twins after actual years of trying. "Well I'm ready for that part."

"Yeah, I bet you are," Rick smirked. "If I work too hard, it's because you don't work at all," he joked, gulping down a swig of his coffee. "Somebody's gotta pick up your slack."

"Fuck you, man, I do my part."

"If your part is to leave all the client meetings and planning and execution to me, then yeah, you do."

Their hearty laughter continued as Carl came ambling into the room to join them, toting his phone and headphones, along with a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. "Hey, man," Shane greeted him, watching him easily settle onto the floor in front of them.

"Mornin'," Rick submitted, seeing his son for the first time that morning as well.

"Hey, Dad," he answered with his mouth full. "Shane."

"You sleep okay?"

He nodded as he swallowed down his cereal with a knowing smile back at his dad. "Did you sleep at all?" he wondered, his eyebrow raised suspiciously. He was knocked out by the time his dad did come back to their suite, but he knew it was after 4:00, and that was all the information he needed to start prying.

"I got a couple hours," he answered, feeling his face flush as he thought about what he'd spent his evening doing. There wasn't even a reason to blush – nothing particularly scandalous happened other than a lot of silly conversation – but he hadn't exactly planned on sharing the details of his late-night dessert and discussion with Michonne.

"What, you couldn't sleep?" Shane asked, oblivious at first, figuring some residual feelings about being there without Lori might've kept him awake. It wasn't until he glanced over to his friend and his bright pink shade as he took another sip of coffee gave away something much more interesting. "I'm sorry, are you blushin' right now?"

"I'm not – I mean it's nothin'," he promised, chuckling at himself and his lack of poker face. "My mind just wandered for a minute."

"Well wherever it went made you turn red as hell," he teased him, knocking his shoulder for good measure.

"Must be wherever you went last night," Carl submitted, proudly instigating so that he could get more information for himself. "He left around 12:30, and when I went to the bathroom at like 4:00, he was still gone," he informed Shane.

Shane's eyebrows nearly lifted from his face and his mouth dropped open as he stared back at Rick. "What?" he exclaimed in excitement. He couldn't keep the amused grin off his face as he prodded his friend to spill the beans. "Where were you, man?"

"I wasn't anywhere," he shrugged. "I went by Michonne's for a minute and we ended up hangin' out."

"You were with Michonne?" Carl asked, his tone both disbelieving and hopeful.

"Where did you think I was?"

"I don't know, Dad. You always tell me that nothing good happens after midnight."

"And by that, he means everything good happens after midnight," Shane laughed, still peering at his best friend. And while he was fairly certain that nothing actually happened between Michonne and Rick, the look on his friend's face said that he was thinking about it. Wheels were turning; he might've even dreamt about it. Either way, it made Shane happy as hell to see Rick was finally thinking about jumping back in the saddle. "Four in the mornin', huh?"

"I got to bed at about five," he granted, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah."

"What were you doing all that time?" Carl wondered.

"You stay outta grown folks' business," Shane warned him in jest.

"We didn't do anything but eat brownies and talk out on her balcony," Rick was happy to clarify. "One of us fell asleep for a while… It was nice."

Carl smiled at the idea of his dad and Michonne hanging out, feeling like it was a step in the right direction for his old man. Better than the ones he'd previously been taking, anyway. He gulped down another spoonful of his cereal as he asked, "Was it like being back in college?"

"Kinda," he decided with a nod. "Yeah."

Shane sent a knowing glance his way, sorely tempted to comment on it further, but Rick was saved by the bell when Michonne came trudging through the door with the two little ones by her side, all three of them sprinkled in sand. "Well speak of the devil," he declared, grinning at the trio. "We were just talkin' about you, girl."

Michonne smiled politely, but she wasn't in the headspace to engage with him the way she usually would have, with some charming, sarcastic quip. "What were you guys talking about?" She caught Rick's eye, but quickly traded it for Shane's, hoping he'd say something silly to keep her from drowning in her feelings.

"You and my dad hanging out all night," Carl answered for them.

"Carl wanted to know why I was out so late," he explained, welcoming Judith into his embrace as she ran toward him. "You guys have fun?"

"Uh huh," she nodded happily. "But we couldn't finish our castle because we have to eat."

"You get any good seashells?" he asked Andre, noticing the bucket he was toting.

"They're okay," he shrugged as he offered the pail to his uncle. "We found a huge one," he described, gesturing a conch shell nearly four times the size of his little fist, "but it was broken, so we had to leave it."

"Auntie said it might cut us," Judith added.

Rick couldn't help but notice that 'Auntie' didn't quite seem to be in the same room as the rest of them. Her demeanor was so different from when she'd come to pick up Judith just over an hour ago; he wondered if perhaps she'd gotten a call or text from Mike while they were out on the beach. Because he couldn't fathom what else would've changed her mood so drastically. Of course, he knew not to ask in front of the kids, as it would lead way to a million different questions, but he hoped she was all right. "You guys ready for some breakfast?" he directed to the younger ones, habitually running his hand over Judith's sandy curls.

"Can you make us pancakes?" she requested, her honey-brown gaze begging him to acquiesce. "Please."

He looked up to Michonne for confirmation that she had the necessary supplies for such a mission. "Can I?"

"You shouldn't be cooking on your vacation," she smiled back at him weakly. "I got it."

"I got it," he insisted then, her lack of enthusiasm telling him that she needed a break. "You took the kids out first thing this morning. Just go back to bed for a little while." He noticed her look of uncertainty, and decided then to try Judith's method of puppy dog eyes. "Come on."

Michonne couldn't even remember the last time she had a chance to sleep while the sun was out, being consumed every morning with making breakfast for 15 - 30 people. The idea of crawling back into bed sounded pretty damn tempting, if she were being honest with herself. She wasn't too keen on being alone with her thoughts, but figured maybe the lack of sleep was what had her emotions all out of whack in the first place. That was what she hoped, at least.

"Daddy will make you pancakes too," Judith offered in an attempt to persuade her.

Michonne quirked an amused eyebrow at him, thinking back to the night before, how she didn't believe him when he touted his kitchen skills. "Thank you," she finally relented, accepting his offer. "I think I do need to lie down."

"Take as long as you need," Rick nodded kindly. And as Andre and Judith found a corner near Carl to lay out their seashell collection, Rick watched as Michonne retreated, wishing he knew what had taken away her smile.

A couple of hours later, Michonne hadn't quite gotten around to actually sleeping. But she did manage a relaxing bath, followed by a quiet breakfast on her balcony, comprised of yogurt and sugar apple and her Zadie Smith novel. It helped that she could hear the kids' laughter in the air as she ate, which was more soothing than any nap could ever be.

By late morning, she was ready to rejoin her friends, figuring Daryl had arrived by then, and they could all conjure up some plans for the rest of the day. But as she combed through the grounds, searching for her guests, the only person she managed to find was Carl, sitting at the edge of the pool, his face buried in his phone, so she decided to stop there. "What's her name?" she announced, taking note of the smile on the teenager's face as his fingers zoomed across his touchscreen.

Startled by the voice, he nearly dropped his phone in the water as he looked up at his godmother with a bashful grin. "It's not like that," he shook his head, setting his phone to his side.

"What's his name?" she offered instead, instantly wishing she hadn't been gender-specific in the first place.

"No, I mean, she's just a friend," he chuckled. "She has a boyfriend."

"Ah." Michonne grinned at the revelation as she claimed the open space beside him, recalling being on the other side of that equation when she was close to his age. "But you like her," she guessed, pulling off her flip flops as she glanced over at him. "Does she like you?"

"I don't know," he admitted with a shrug. "I think so. But if she has a boyfriend, does it matter?"

"Of course it matters," she scoffed. "She isn't married. And even then, there's always a way out," she appended, her voice dropping an octave. "But if she likes you more than this other guy, she can always choose you. If that's what you guys want."

"I never thought of it that way, I guess. I just… I don't wanna steal some other guy's girlfriend."

Michonne sighed, mostly at his choice of words, but she also couldn't help but hear his father in those words, which amused her. "She can't be stolen, Carl. She's not property."

"You know what I mean."

"I do know what you mean," she smirked, dipping her feet into the delightfully warm water. Her eyes fixated on the ripples that followed as she quietly reminisced on her college days. "Where'd everybody go?" she eventually asked when the silence began to sound like noise to her.

"Judith and Andre tricked my dad into taking them back to the beach to find more seashells," Carl chuckled, "and Andrea went with them. And Shane and Morgan went to the docks to look at boats or something." He paused to think of who else he was missing. "Oh, and Jenny is up on the roof. She said she wanted to read and enjoy the view."

"And Daryl and Carol?" she wondered, squinting at him as the sun beamed down on them both.

He shrugged again as his phone vibrated against the cement. "They haven't come back yet, I don't think."

"Of course," she smiled to herself, unsurprised by the news. She could only imagine what Shane would have to say – he always bristled whenever Daryl's crush on his older sister came up. But now that Carol was divorced and could actually reciprocate those feelings, the next step seemed inevitable. And she just wanted to be a fly on the wall when Shane did find out.

"'Of course' what?" Carl questioned her, feeling like he'd missed something.

"Nothing," she shook her head, amused by his constant curiosity. She swore he came out of the womb asking questions. "Why didn't you go with your dad?" she decided to question him instead.

"I just wanted to hang out here. Wait for you."

She grinned warmly at his answer and affectionately cupped the back of his head the way she often did with Andre, her thumb tangling in his hair. As much as she loved their FaceTime conversations, there was nothing quite like being able to sit side-by-side and talk. She hadn't forgotten him saying that he wanted to do exactly that, and she figured now was as good a time as any to catch up. "So what's her name?" she asked again, studying and enjoying the little grin on his face each time his phone buzzed.

"It's Enid." It was his turn to shake his head at Michonne's nosiness. "Enid Burke."

She nodded, deciding she liked it. It wasn't one of those trendy names that ended in A, like all the kids in Andre's old classes. "Have you told your dad about her?"

"No," he immediately frowned at just the thought. "I mean, he's met her before. She umm – she came to a couple of my meets. But he doesn't know…"

"She came to your cross country meets?"

"Yeah."

"Is this boyfriend of hers on the team, too?"

He shook his head as his blue gaze fixated on the water ahead of them. "He plays football."

Michonne could only laugh, his obliviousness entertaining her to no end. "Let me tell you something. I wouldn't even come to watch you run cross country, and I love you. You don't have to wonder if she likes you."

Carl tried to suppress his smile, but the thought of their feelings being mutual was a little too much to keep bottled up. "I think she was just killing time before the games," he suggested self-deprecatingly. "I dunno. We're in Model UN and the robotics team together, so we just see each other more than she sees him."

"The robotics team, huh? How'd you get your dad to change his mind?"

"He didn't, really," he chuckled. "He told me to do what I thought was best, but he still talks about the stupid STEM club like every day."

"Well you knew that was gonna happen when you chose it," she retorted with a smirk.

"Yeah… I guess I did." He grinned at how well she knew both him and his dad, which was precisely why he'd decided to save his next topic of discussion for her before trying to broach the subject with him. He knew she would be able to look at things from both their perspectives and give him some sound advice. "Hey, Michonne?"

"Mmhm?" she answered, semi-distracted as she rolled up the hem of her long dress so that it wouldn't get any wetter than it had.

"Do you think it's time for my dad to start dating again?" he asked cautiously, his eyes flitting up to the sky as he tried to think of a better way to word his inquiry. "Like, is two years too soon?"

Michonne's perfectly arched eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out what prompted this question, and where he was headed with it. "Why are you asking this?" she prodded in her softest tone.

"I'm just wondering. Is that a normal time frame?"

"I don't know if there is a normal," she answered earnestly. "A lot of factors go into things like this. Some widowers give it a year, or two, or five. And some never try to find love again. It depends on the person, I'm sure."

"Okay, well you know my dad pretty well, and you know how he felt about my mom, so…"

"I mean... I don't know!" she laughed nervously, thinking back to her conversation with Rick from the night before. "I don't think it's too soon, but I also think it's fine if he wants to wait a bit longer. There's nothing wrong with being single."

"But he's never been single, so maybe he doesn't know that," Carl mumbled.

"Dude." She gently smacked his shoulder, his cryptic questions and answers infinitely piquing her curiosity. "What is this about?"

He sighed heavily as he pulled both of his feet from the water to sit crosslegged, and he shifted his entire body so that he was facing Michonne. "Would you ever date someone that Andre didn't like?"

"Well he's seven, so his taste isn't quite so discerning," she smiled. "He either likes or really likes everyone that I allow into his life."

"Right…"

"You're gonna have to be a little less cagey if you want me to stay in this conversation, Carl."

"Okay," he exhaled again, exasperated with the subject before he could even get around to it. "So there's this lady," he started, keeping his voice low as if someone might overhear them. "She lives next door to us, and her and my dad go running sometimes…"

"Jessie?" Michonne interrupted, that bit of information sounding familiar to her. Rick had mentioned a little about her when he said he was inviting her to the island, but as far as Michonne knew, she was bringing her girlfriend along with her, so she couldn't imagine where Carl was headed with this line of questioning.

"You know her?" he asked, surprised.

"No, not at all. Your dad told me she was your neighbor when he said he was inviting her," she revealed, shaking her head. "What about her?"

"Maybe I'm overthinking it," he granted, "but I feel like my dad is ready to start dating again. Like, he took off his ring, and I assume he invited Jessie down here for a reason." He was absently picking at a scar on his knee as he tried to figure out how to say what he wanted to say without sounding like an asshole. "But I don't know how to tell him… I don't even know if I should tell him… that I don't like her."

"And what is it you don't like about her?" she challenged him, although still trying to navigate through her own confusion. "Is she unkind?"

"No," he shook his head solemnly. "It's nothing obvious. She's always nice. Her kids suck, but that's a whole different story," he submitted as an aside. "But no, she's okay as a person. She takes care of Judith a lot, and she seems good at that. But you know how, like, you can tell someone's being fake?"

"Yeah…"

"I don't know what it is about her, but I always get the vibe that she's putting on this act. Like, I can't see myself ever talking to her like I am with you. And I dunno, I'd kinda like to be friends with the person my dad dates."

Michonne could only chuckle, feeling her face growing warm the more she sat there thinking about the situation at hand. She'd spent weeks thinking that this Jessie person was bringing her partner on vacation with her, but Carl was right - why else would Rick invite her? Which begged the question of why he hadn't even mentioned her name in the span of their four-hour conversation the night before. Did she completely imagine them talking that long? Had they not spoken candidly about sex and love and loneliness? And he didn't even hint that he had someone in mind? She had to be missing something. "Well," she finally spoke, unsure of what she should even say in this circumstance, "I think you've got good intuition, and you're probably not wrong about her," she allowed. "But at the same time, dating is hard. It's awkward. And maybe what you're perceiving as an act is just her coping mechanism. So if this is something you think your dad really wants, I think you should probably give her a chance."

It wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but he knew she was right. She generally was. "I know this isn't about me," he made sure to say. "I said I wanna be friends with whoever my dad ends up with, but I know that can't be the first thing on his mind…"

"Well if I know your dad – and I like to think that I do – it is about you. And Judith. His happiness hinges on you guys' happiness. So I guarantee you, that absolutely is one of the first things on his mind."

Carl replied with a small smile, figuring that probably was true, too. "I just want him to be happy," he whispered, staring blankly at the ground. "Just… not with her."

Michonne squeezed her eyes shut, hating herself for laughing at him. "You're terrible," she giggled. "Is she the only one, or is she the one you think he likes the most?" She was prying, and not even being subtle about it, she knew, but her curiosity was just about killing her by then.

Carl laughed just as heartily in reply, amused that she would think his dad could have more than one potential love interest. It was still surprising to him that he even had that many. "She's the only one that I know of," he smirked. "We're talking about my dad here."

"I know who we're talking about," she retorted, grinning. "I know he can come off as clueless and generally dorky, but don't let him fool you."

"No way," he beamed in disbelief. "He's only been with one woman his whole life."

She let out an involuntary scoff at that bit of information. "Is that what he told you?"

"That's what my mom told me."

Michonne had to purse her lips just keep them shut, because she was on the verge of spilling all his parents' business. "Hmm."

"Is that not true?" His eyes were wide with intrigue as he stared back at his godmother. "There was someone before my mom?"

"I'll just say this," she spoke quietly, knowing she was saying things she probably shouldn't be saying. "Your parents broke up and got back together… a few times. Back in college."

"Why?"

"The usual silly, young people reasons," she shook her head dismissively. "One time, your mom even started hanging out with Shane, just to make your dad jealous."

"That sounds like my mom," he grinned.

"Meanwhile, whenever there was even a chance that they'd broken up, the girls would come up to me like, 'Hey, is Rick single?'" She rolled her eyes as she did her best impression of her typical UGA classmate. "Asking me to bring them up with him, wanting to hang out with us. It was ridiculous."

"We're talking about my dad here," he asked to confirm, still finding it unbelievable. He always knew Shane as the ladies' man in their group. Then again, all the moms at his school always flocked to his dad at every event, like he was interesting or something. But Carl just figured it was because pickings were slim at that age. "My dad having game goes against pretty much everything I know."

"Well I wouldn't go so far as to say he has game," she laughed. "He was cute and the quote-unquote nice one, at least compared to Shane." As she spoke on it, she quickly reconsidered her position. "Well… maybe he had a little game."

"So how'd he end back up with my mom?"

"He was in love with her," she said simply. "And she was in love with him. And I don't think anyone could've gotten past that."

Carl couldn't stop smiling, utterly fascinated by this revelation, but also simply enjoying Michonne's company. Their time together reminded him of exactly why he had missed her so much. She was the closest thing he had to not only a mother, but his mother. She had stories for days about his parents, which always made him feel like she was still around. They comforted him. And he wasn't even sure that she knew that. "Can I ask you something else?"

"You can ask me anything," she assured him, smiling back at him warmly. "What's up?"

"Well now that I know my parents weren't, like, soulmates from day one… how come you and my dad were never together?" Michonne opened her mouth to respond, but Carl continued. "I mean, I'm glad, because then I wouldn't exist. But like, you get along so well, and you were obviously close back then. Did it ever cross you guys' mind?"

Michonne's only answer was an awkward laugh, her face doing the warm, tingly thing it did whenever she thought about Rick in a certain way for too long. She thought she meant it when she said he could ask her anything, but this wasn't a question she was prepared to answer. "Umm…" She let the silence hang in the breeze for a moment, trying to think of a delicate truth to offer him. But then she spotted Rick and Andre running down the beach, headed straight for them, and she let out a slow but palpable sigh of relief. Saved by the bell, as it were. "Oh look, they're back."