Red River Blue

Chapter 44

After all the time Carol spent dreading the fact that Ezekiel had involved himself in her daughter's wedding planning, she ended up being eternally grateful to the man. He somehow managed to talk Mika out of a wedding later in the summer at Oceanside and into one at the lake, here in the Kingdom, during the trade fair. What that meant for Carol was that they all didn't have to travel to Oceanside in the middle of the late summer harvest. And they wouldn't have to plan a dinner and feed everyone. Because dinner was already being provided as part of the fair.

The best part of the whole thing was that instead of telling Mika that having the wedding here was going to be less work for everyone, Ezekiel presented the idea in a way that made Mika feel like her wedding was the most important event in the world to him. She was a princess. And he wouldn't stand for anyone else to host her wedding because they'd never put on the sort of event that he was planning. And of course, she'd be denying everyone the opportunity to participate in her nuptials if she didn't have them during fair week. People would be devastated.

Carol was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Especially since Mika was eating up everything Ezekiel was feeding her like it was ice cream with sugar on top. And Henry was so busy staring at Mika that Carol didn't even think the boy heard a word his father said during the entire conversation. Mika kept meeting the boy's gaze and smiling back. And they were holding hands or touching each other the entire time. Carol could almost see the happiness shining out of them both. Which was all she ever wanted for her daughter. It also didn't hurt that Henry was well connected and a skilled combat fighter.

"Have you seen Sam?," Carol asked, looking around the campsite. Ezekiel invited them to dinner at his house. So they could eat while they decided on the rest of the wedding details. Daryl was easier to find than usual, sulking in a chair near their tent. Henry and Mika were already at Ezekiel's place. That just left Sam for her to track down.

"I think he and Lydia snuck off fer a little grab ass," River announced with a laugh. The poor girl didn't have much ass to grab. But Sam wasn't going to let that stop him from trying. Carol sighed and rolled her eyes. Sam really didn't need to be around for the wedding planning. She was just hoping to have one family meal before the full scale craziness of fair week set in.

"Are you sure you don't need help?," Carol asked. They were putting on breakfast for the entire fair in the morning. Every group took a turn. And River liked to take theirs first. To get it over with early in the week. Carol was looking over the massive pile of potatoes that still needed to be peeled. They probably still needed to make the bread dough. And get all the veggies chopped for the omelet station.

"Carol, yer daughter's gettin' married," River told her. "We can peel potatoes without yer help."

"Are you planning Mika's wedding?," Wren chirped. "Can I help? I've never planned a wedding before. But I'm good at planning parties."

Carol smiled as Wren bounced around, her potato peeler long forgotten on the table. Carl was next to her, also looking surprisingly hopeful. Carol guessed he didn't care much about the wedding. He probably just wanted to eat dinner with Michonne. The two of them always had a special bond. Carol decided quickly that she would actually love to have Wren's help. She was amazing at organizing events. And she had a good eye for all the small details that Carol would never think of.

"Of course you can help. I'd really appreciate it," Carol said, bracing herself as Wren came flying at her, hugging her so tight she could barely breathe. When she got done nearly choking Carol, Wren shot off like a rocket towards her tent, returning with a sparkly pink journal in her hands. Carl was already standing with Carol, ready to go. But it seemed that Daryl wasn't getting out of his chair fast enough for her. Wren nearly dumped him out onto his face, prodding him along until they were all headed towards Ezekiel's house together.

The dinner itself went well. Carol could tell Ezekiel was trying to sell the young couple on the idea of living in the Kingdom. He wasn't exactly being subtle. But she was relieved to learn that Henry seemed rather determined to move to Alexandria. Carol would be happy as long as her daughter was happy. But she'd much rather have Mika stay close to home. Especially since Carol had a sneaking suspicion that they'd be starting a family sooner rather than later. And she didn't want to miss out on that.

Mika was staying with Henry in his room. And Michonne invited Carl and Wren to sleep over in the guest room. This left Carol and Daryl a bit of alone time as they walked back to the campsite together. Carol was careful not to get emotional in front of everyone. She was genuinely overjoyed for Mika and she loved the young woman as if she was her own flesh and blood. But Carol's joy was tempered with a melancholy she wasn't expecting to feel. Her grief for Sophia was always there, like a rock in her shoe. Carol expected it to wane over the years. But it never did. She just made room for it. Seeing her adopted daughter making wedding plans brought up a fresh spring of sadness from deep down inside her. Sophia would never get to have a wedding. She would never know the joy of falling in love for the first time. Because she was dead. Carol swiped at her eyes, not wanting Daryl to see that she was crying.

"She's in a better place," he soothed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Carol had no idea how Daryl knew what she was upset about. She hadn't said anything to him about it. She never really talked about Sophia to anyone.

The tears that Carol was trying desperately to hold back came bubbling up and out of her. She buried her face in Daryl's chest, muffling her racking sobs as best she could. He held her, rubbing her back in gentle circles.

"Sometimes I feel so guilty," Carol sobbed. "For moving on with my life after I lost her."

"It's okay," he soothed. "Sophia'd want ya ta be happy." Daryl held her until her tears finally ceased. Pulling his hanky from his back pocket, he handed it to Carol so she could use it to mop up her face. "Ya know she'll be there with us in spirit," he promised.

Reaching into his pants pocket, Daryl pulled out a small charm that was hanging from a delicate silver chain. Carol reached out, grasping the dangling pendant and holding it in her palm so she could see what it was. The charm was round and about the size of a nickel. There was a tiny photo of a flower that had been fixed to the pendant with clear resin. And when Carol took a closer look, she realized it was a picture of a cherokee rose.

"Was gonna get ya flowers," Daryl explained. "...to 'pologize fer being an ass all the time. But I thought ya'd like this better."

"I love it," Carol gushed, throwing her arms around him with the necklace still clutched in her hand. He hugged her against him, burying his face into her neck. They stayed like that a while, before Carol finally pulled back so she could fasten her new necklace around her neck.

"You're not an ass all the time," she said, finally feeling like she was able to smile through the tears. Daryl smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and started walking them back towards their tent.

"Ya know what would look good with that necklace," he said, his hand moving off her shoulder and down over the curve of her hip. "That thing ya were wearing last night…" Carol gave him a side eye.

"Don't push your luck," she teased, whacking playfully at his chest. Daryl whacked her back, slapping her ass and giving her a rough squeeze. By the time they made it back to their tent, they were already kissing. Daryl flipped his middle finger at River, who was busy hollering out a few words of encouragement to Carol. Don't give in easy! Make him beg fer it!

"Did you do this?," Carol asked, turning back to look at Daryl once she stepped inside their tent. There were rose petals scattered on the bed in the shape of a heart. And on top of the trunk next to the bed there was a small vanilla scented candle and a little plastic bottle of something.

Daryl shook his head. He got Carol the necklace. But he wasn't responsible for the rest of this. He guessed River must have come in and done it while they were at dinner. It was probably her way of making up for getting him into trouble. Carol picked up the candle first, smelling it before she lit it and put it back down on top of the trunk. She grabbed the little bottle next, squinting her eyes at the small print on the label before she burst into laughter.

"What the hell is that?," Daryl asked. Knowing River, the horrid possibilities were endless. One time she read in some dirty magazine that if she sucked on an Altoid while giving oral sex, the menthol in the breath mint would enhance the feeling in the guy's dick. This information somehow resulted in Merle's dick and balls being covered in vicks vapor rub. Daryl never saw anyone run for the shower that fast in his life.

"It's strawberry flavored lube," Carol said, handing the bottle to Daryl as her body shook with laughter. He flipped the cap open, squirting a little dot of the stuff out onto his finger. He rubbed his finger and thumb together, sniffing at them first before he tasted the stuff.

"Tastes sort of like a jolly rancher," he observed, licking his finger. When he looked like Daryl was going to flip the cap back open for another taste, Carol snatched the bottle back.

"You're supposed to lick it off someone, not eat it straight from the bottle," she scolded, trying not to laugh. She'd seen Daryl eat some disgusting things. Worms and bugs and over cooked dog meat. But she still wasn't expecting him to start eating lube straight from the container.

"Put some on then," he suggested, his eyes lingering on her breasts. Carol eyed the bottle in her hand skeptically before she looked down at her body.

"Where should I put it?," she asked, getting a rather wicked grin from him in response.

"Everywhere."