It sometimes amazed Carol that more people didn't complain about their circumstances. They had all lost so much and their lives had changed so drastically in the last few years. It wasn't overstating things to say that everything had changed for everyone. She knew that they had survived so much and after coming to the realization that life would never be the same, most would see that complaining was a waste of time, and an annoyance to others.
There were sometimes small complaints. 'It's not my turn to do dishes or laundry or cook,' or 'So-and-so is driving me crazy by humming all day long.' But it wasn't really serious and it was usually worked out with a little honest communication. Communication was very important now. They had gone from being stranger to family because they had to reply upon one another, and they couldn't do that without trust, and the trust was hard won through communication and overcoming mistakes.
It was easier to survive with other people now, and Carol knew that as much as she sometimes wished she could leave on her own, it was better with people. She sighed, watching Rick as he played with his daughter. Since Terminus they had come to understand each other very well, and it seemed that Rick was starting to understand why she had done some of the things that he had been so against in the past, now that he had done things just as bad. There was more trust between them because of that understanding, and that is why she had been so honest with him about the weapon situation in Alexandria and Jesse's home life.
They might not have clean hands, but they didn't seem to have much worry over their consciences anymore. She smiled at the group sitting outside, as they looked up toward the house, and waved. The lemonade was almost ready and she stopped stirring after another moment. She wasn't going to complain about these little tasks, even if she was the one who almost always did them. They were things to keep her hands and mind busy, and gave her some measure of control over her day. They were also ways for her to prove that she was needed, and sometimes that was what she wanted most of all in this new world.
Carol gathered the stack of cups and the pitcher of lemonade and moved toward the door, smiling at Glenn as he held it open for her. "Thanks. I think we have enough for everyone."
"And isn't that a nice change from being out on the road?"
She nodded, setting the cups on the patio table, "Yes, but even when we had very little we managed to share it."