You guys are all so amazing. I don't even know what to really say anymore besides that. Some have been asking and in this chapter, I have finally revealed the name of their little town. I probably love writing stories for the town as much as I love writing Beth and Daryl's love story slowly unfolding.

…

Chapter Twenty-Two. Fresh Daily Batch of Drama.

The mums are in bloom.

If anyone else sees this text message, they'll have absolutely no idea what it means. They'll think that the mums are simply in bloom – even though it's too early for the fall flower to be so. But Beth sees the text message from Rosita and immediately knows the meaning behind it. It was something they had created together in high school; their own secret language. They both had slightly protective parents and liked to know everything that was happening in their children's lives – and cell phones were checked often, especially when "sexting" became a thing and neither the Greene nor Espinosa parents were going to let their daughters engage in such a thing. And though Rosita and Beth didn't do that, there were things that they needed to talk about that they didn't want their parents to know.

The mums are in bloom has only ever meant one thing.

At noon, Beth closes the practice, putting a sign on the front door that she is gone for lunch but will be back within the hour (she hopes), and then hops into her truck to drive to the diner where Rosita is already sitting in a booth in the back corner, shredding a napkin to tiny confetti pieces.

"What's wrong?" Beth asks the instant she sees her best friend and slides in across from her, never taking her eyes from her.

The mums are in bloom means that one of the girls needs to talk about something – immediately. And it's never a text to be taken lightly.

The first time they created the code and Rosita sent it to Beth, they were in high school and Rosita was late and freaking out with the possibility of being pregnant with Spencer's baby. Beth and her had driven four towns over to buy a pregnancy test, but Beth had stayed in the car because everyone in the county knew Hershel Greene and she couldn't be seen buying something like that. They then went to some run down gas station on some back road for Rosita to go to the bathroom. Of course, it turned out to be a false alarm.

When Beth used the code for the first time, she had lost her virginity to Zach the night before and she was so sore the next morning, she was convinced something was seriously wrong with her. Her parents were out of town for one of her daddy's college class reunions and Rosita had rushed over, fixing her soup and tea and assuring her that she wasn't dying.

"I think Spencer is cheating on me," Rosita says bluntly.

For a moment, Beth is stunned; not having expected Rosita to say that. At all. Especially considering Spencer plans on finally proposing to her soon. He's already showed Beth the ring; wanting to make sure that he had bought just the right one.

"Hi girls," Paulie comes up to their table. "What can I get you?"

Beth is still staring at Rosita and Rosita has taken a fresh napkin to start shredding.

"Um," Beth finally looks up to Daryl's mom. "Can we just have another moment, Paulie?"

Paulie is no fool and she is able to spot a girl's talk when one's happening in front of her. She slips her ordering pad back into the front of her apron. "You girls take your time. I'll bring you some Cokes," she offers and then leaves.

"Rosita," Beth leans in. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She expects Rosita to hesitate, but instead, Rosita dives right into it.

"I was home yesterday on my day off and I always do laundry on my day off," Rosita says and Beth listens to every word she is saying to try and figure out why Rosita is thinking this about Spencer; especially since Rosita actually usually doesn't act irrational. "And I was putting away his socks and boxers, like the awesome girlfriend, I am. He had come home for lunch and I didn't know it and I opened his top dresser drawer and he walked in on me and he started yelling his head off."

Beth is going to go out on a limb and say that that's where Spencer has hidden the ring. He really should have hid it in his desk at work.

"I think he has pictures in there he doesn't want me to see," Rosita says and then sighs heavily. "I should have seen this coming."

"Why?" Beth's eyes widen a bit with confusion. Rosita and Spencer have been together for ten years now. Most people in town think the two are already married. Beth honestly thinks they're the most stable couple; right behind how her daddy and mom used to be.

"You know why," Rosita says, but proceeds to tell her anyway. "We've been together since high school. We were each other's firsts and the only people we have ever been with. He's probably bored out of his mind with me. And you know the Town Hall gets all of those college interns to help out during the summer months. Spencer has probably screwed at least half of them already."

"You don't really believe that," Beth frowns at her.

Rosita just shrugs and continues to shred.

"Here you go, girls," Paulie returns and sets two glasses of Coke down in front of them. "Do you know what you want or do you need more time?"

"What'd you bake today, Paulie?" Rosita asks.

"Today, it's red velvet," Paulie answers.

"Two slices of that, please." Rosita then looks to Beth. "Do you want anything?"

The diner has three soups. Chicken Noodle, Vegetable and their soup of the day, which, every day, is cream of celery. And then during the winter months, Dale will make chili. And Beth knows it nearly ninety degrees outside with nearly one-hundred percent humidity outside, but sometimes, a person just gets unexplainable cravings for something. Sometimes, Maggie would get the strongest craving for Taco Bell and drive to the closest one – nearly twenty miles away, but she had never cared.

"A cup of vegetable soup and a slice of red velvet," Beth orders, giving Paulie a small smile.

She admits, ever since Paulie's talking to in the greenhouse, she's been a bit more shy around the woman. She knows Paulie likes her, but Paulie basically admits that she almost expects her to break Daryl's heart like Amy had. She must think that if she even thought she had to give Beth a talking-to like that. Never mind that Daryl had already come so close to breaking her heart before he was able to fix it. And who would care if he did? He has a mom and a brother and Beth's family no longer lives around here to threaten Daryl. All she has is Rosita and Spencer and though she knows they would do anything for her, she also knows that they – especially Spencer – really likes Daryl and she wouldn't expect them to take sides if anything bad did happen between Daryl and herself.

"Have you tried to talk with Spencer about it?" Beth asks, dunking her straw into the Coke.

"Hell. No." Rosita frowns. "He's the one who has to talk and explain himself. Not me." Rosita takes a sip from her own Coke. "How are things with you and Daryl?" She then asks, clearly done talking about her and Spencer for the time being.

And Beth feels like such an idiot but just hearing that question, she can't stop herself from smiling a little. "Good," she then answers, keeping it as simple as possible.

And it is. Right now, it's really good. After the fiasco that was their first time and after, things are back on track. She hasn't said those three words since and she has no plan on ever saying them again; at least not first. Daryl will have to say it to her first if he wants to hear her say it to him again.

She really doesn't expect him to tell her though. She knows he likes her so much and he cares deeply for her, but as for being in love with her, she just has no idea if it will ever happen. He put himself out there once before and got completely burned. He probably isn't looking to put himself out there again – no matter how much time passes.

And for the time being, Beth is alright with that because Daryl is a wonderful person and absolutely wonderful to her and they don't have to rush into anything. She had been the one to put love onto the table too quickly but just as quickly, she hid it away again and for the moment, they're just enjoying one another. Beth knows that if a certain amount of time passes and he still doesn't seem to have deep feelings for her…

Well, they'll cross that bridge when they get to it.

"No, Beth. Please, stop. Information overload," Rosita frowns.

"Here we are," Paulie says, setting three plates of cake down and the cup of soup in front of Beth. She also sets down a little plate with a warm roll on it near Beth's hand. "You need anything else?"

Rosita has already dived into one of her pieces of cake.

"I think we're all set, Paulie. Thanks," Beth gives her another smile. "It's not like you to just jump to conclusions like this," she points out to Rosita.

"Well, it's not like Spencer to just jump into bed with girls who aren't me," Rosita retorts and Beth doesn't try to hide her eye roll from her.

After they eat and pay the bill, and Beth has gotten Rosita to promise to at least talk with Spencer, and Rosita gets one more slice of red velvet cake to go, the girls walk from the diner out onto the sidewalk. Without a word, Rosita throws her arms around Beth's shoulders and hugs her tightly, almost squeezing the breath from her.

"I don't know what I would do with you," Rosita says to her. "I'm so glad you moved back."

"Me, too," Beth says as she hugs her tightly in return.

They pull apart upon hearing a familiar bark and sure enough, turning their heads, looking to the Commons across the street, there is Louis, barking and wagging his tail at the sight of Beth so near. As they have been doing all week, Daryl and T-Dog are working on the gazebo and Louis has trotted to the edge of the tape-offed job site and is beckoning Beth over.

"Come on," Rosita grabs Beth's hand and after quickly checking on cars coming, she proceeds to pull Beth across the street.

"Hey," Daryl sees them coming and lifts his protective goggles onto the top of his head. He's been cutting wood all morning and there's fresh planks and sawdust everywhere.

"Hi," Beth smiles in return.

"Did you ever hide anything in your top dresser drawer?" Rosita asks Daryl without any form of greeting. "Like with your underwear, what did you hide?"

Daryl shrugs, giving her a furrowed brow. "Don't keep my boxers in the top drawer."

Rosita sighs heavily. "T-Dog!" And with that, she steps beneath the yellow tape and marches over to T-Dog, who's taking measurements with his corner cutter ruler.

Daryl gives Beth a little smile as he lifts the tape and she gives him a smile, slipping underneath it, coming to stand in front of him. Louis is immediately there, begging for attention, and Beth laughs, bestowing upon him as much as she can. When she lifts her eyes, she finds that Daryl is watching her, his lips doing that little twitch that they do.

"How's it going?" She asks, looking away, feeling her cheeks flush. Sometimes, Daryl looks at her so intently, she's not too sure what to do because no one has ever looked at her as if they're studying her and trying to memorize her. "It looks amazing," she then says because it really does.

The old Gazebo had clearly been showing its age, smelling like rotten wood and mold, and most people thought that the town should just condemn the thing before someone got tetanus on one of the rusted nails that stuck out from the wood. It's never been understood why the Gazebo fell into such disrepair. This current mayor blamed the last mayor who probably blamed the mayor who came before him.

Their little town had been founded and settled just before the Civil War broke out and almost every man who was able to fight left to go do just that. Just a handful returned and the gazebo was built for the town's first Fourth of July celebration with the war now done. So much of the South was devastated and it would take the area so long to recover from the war, but the first mayor of the town had stood on these steps of the gazebo and told the townspeople that now would be the time to show people just what the South was really made of.

This gazebo stands for such pride and hope in their town and Daryl being able to return it to its former glory, everyone is eager to see the final product. There is already a town-wide party being planned in celebration when Daryl and T-Dog pound in that last nail and paint that last stroke.

"I don't know 'bout that," Daryl comments, coming to stand next to her, so close, she feels her shoulder brush against his chest. "But it's comin' along. We finally finished pullin' off all the old rotten wood and we've been workin' on the bugs and mold. Some bees weren't too happy with us and I had to go send T away while I dealt with 'em. He's allergic and I can't be havin' my one other guy droppin' dead on me. Too much to do."

Beth smiles at that and she looks at the bare skeleton structure of what stands before her.

"I was able to save one thing from the original though," he says. "Can I show you?"

"Please," Beth nods and beams up at him and her cheeks feel warm again as Daryl gently takes hold of her hand and leads her towards the steps.

"Careful. T and me haven' swept all the nails 'way yet," Daryl says as he guides her up the creaking wooden steps. "And careful of that," he says as he gently pulls her away from a large hole in the floor as if she isn't able to see it for herself. "Look what we found," he leads her to the center of the gazebo and looks up.

Beth follows his eyes and she smiles when she sees them. Wooden carvings of dogwood trees – their town's namesake, Dogwood – on the ceiling. "I've never seen those before," she says, still gazing upwards. She wishes she could touch them, to feel the grooves of the pattern. "I thought the whole roof was rotted," she then says, moving her eyes back to Daryl, who, no surprise to Beth, is already looking at her.

"The roof's plywood was," he nods. "But when they built this, they had doubled up on their wood, so these planks had twice the protection. Pretty much the only wood from the roof that ain't rotten. 's a miracle."

Beth smiles at that and looks back up the carvings. "I'm so glad you were able to save them. They're beautiful."

"Dirt and cobwebs 'ave been coverin' 'em up for years," Daryl comments. "I got another meetin' with the plannin' committee this week to ask 'em if I can carve more 'round here."

"You can carve, too?" Beth looks at him and she's not sure why she feels so surprised. If anyone in this town can carve intricate designs into wood, it'd be the man standing in front of her. "How did you learn?" She then asks with growing curiosity. She can't imagine someone just picking up that skill without at least being shown at least once how it's done.

Daryl just shrugs though. "Jus' somethin' I learned along the way."

Beth knows there's probably more to the story, but she doesn't ask about it further. For now. "I can't imagine the planning committee telling you that you can't. You know how serious this place takes its town pride." His lips twitch at that and she smiles at him. "I need to head back. I put a sign on the door that I'd only be gone for an hour."

"A'right," Daryl says and he's still holding her hand and she notices that when he does let go, he does so slowly; as if maybe he doesn't want to let go of it at all.

The thought makes her feel warm inside.

"I'll see you at home later," she says and he gives his head nod.

Beth stands on her toes and gives him – what she intends – to be a quick kiss, but surprisingly, Daryl seems to have another thought on the matter and when she begins to pull her lips away, he chases after them with his own and kisses her again, his hand gently cupping the back of her head, keeping her right where she is.

Like she really wants to be anywhere else.

…

The Beach Boys have always made her happy and on the way home, Beth sings along to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" as it plays on the radio, smiling; almost laughing.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up,
In the morning when the day is new.
And after having spent the day together,
Hold each other close the whole night through."

The next verse dies in her throat however when she nears the house and she sees someone sitting on the front porch waiting for her. And it's not just someone. Her familiar straight blonde hair and pink scrubs from the dentist's office gives her identity away. Amy.

Beth's stomach clenches into a knot as she pulls her truck around the back of the house and enters in through the kitchen. She has no idea why Amy is here, but all she knows is the warmth in her chest and stomach and the tingle of her lips from Daryl's kisses all disappear as she walks to the front door, seeing Amy through the glass, waiting for her. Is Amy here to tell her to back off from Daryl? But what right in the world does Amy have to do that? She cheated on Daryl and slept with someone behind Daryl's back while still being with Daryl. She lost all rights to be protective and possessive over Daryl long ago.

But Beth still can't help but be nervous as she unlocks the front door. For the first time, she notices that Amy is holding a gray kitten in her arms.

Oh. Beth honestly hadn't thought that Amy would need to see her as a vet.

"Come this way," Beth says, ushering Amy into the exam room. She leaves the door open. Not that she thinks Amy will try to hurt her or anything, but Beth's not going to risk it.

Amy sits the kitten down gingerly on the steel table.

"And what's this little fellow's name?" Beth asks as she smiles down at the kitten, her hands naturally beginning their exam. Checking the ears and teeth, the paws and pads, and running her hands down its tiny, fragile body, searching for abnormalities.

"Gizmo," Amy answers. "Randall got him for me. Found him somewhere. I don't really know where. There are stray cats everywhere though."

"Very true."

Beth listens to little Gizmo's heart for a moment, trying not to think of how Daryl had given puppy Louis to Amy as a present and Amy hadn't wanted to keep him when they ended. She wonders if Gizmo will be going with Randall if he and Amy are ever to break up.

"So has Daryl given you anything yet?" Amy asks.

Beth stills and slowly lifts her eyes to look at Amy. Amy is standing on the other side of the table, watching her, waiting for her answer and Beth wonders if her discomfort is obvious, but it must be because Amy truly looks amused right now.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Beth answers and is proud of herself for doing so. "Do you want to hear about Gizmo or not?" She then asks.

Amy smirks a little. "We were dating for just a month when Daryl gave me this locket necklace for no reason whatsoever. It was very sweet."

Beth tries to keep her face blank as possible. No, Daryl hasn't bought her presents, but she isn't expecting him to. He had his reasons for buying Amy gifts and he has his reason for not buying Beth anything. She doesn't need anything. Maybe Daryl knows that.

"He was always so sweet to me. I've never had a guy treat me like Daryl did. Like I was the center of his universe. I did love him back then," Amy then says, staring at Beth point blank.

"Yes, that was obvious," Beth comments and she wonders if her sarcasm is evident, but she knows it is when Amy frowns at her. Not letting Amy say anything else, she turns and goes to one of the cabinets along the wall, taking out a box of drops. "Gizmo has fleas. You need to give him a drop of this every morning right here, between his shoulder blades. Make sure you get his skin and not just his fur."

"I'll tell Randall," Amy says, taking the box with a slight wrinkled nose of disgust.

Beth then goes to her computer to start typing up an invoice to give to her and does her best to ignore Amy. She doesn't know the young woman at all. All she knows is what she has learned about her from others and Beth feels that her poor opinion is completely justified. How can she even be expected to be polite to her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend who cheated on him and broke his heart. Beth supposes she could thank Amy for doing what she did though. If she hadn't, she and Daryl would probably be married by now and Beth would have probably never exchanged a single word with Daryl Dixon.

Without a word, Beth prints the invoice out and gives it to Amy, who in turn, takes out her credit card and Beth swipes it through the reader on her desk. Amy then signs the receipt.

"Bring him back next week and I'll see how he's doing," Beth tells her, smiling down at Gizmo, focusing on the adorable kitten rather than the other woman.

"So, Daryl really hasn't bought you anything?" Amy asks, lifting the kitten into her arms again, prepared to leave.

Beth doesn't answer her.

"Huh," Amy says and then with that, she leaves the room. A moment later, Beth hears the slap of the front screen door behind her as she leaves the house.

Beth refuses to have any sort of reaction to this. Huh. Like it's some great big mystery. So Daryl hasn't bought her any gifts. So what? He has done so much more for her already.

It can't possibly mean anything bad.

And Beth's not going to let it dwell on her mind like it is.

She already has a locket upstairs in her jewelry box anyway.

…

Thank you very much for reading and please take a moment to leave a review!