Author's Note: Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your thoughts and feedback. So happy y'all are still rocking with this story and enjoying these little moments :)

Now, without further adieu:

Day 57

"Thank you."

The two words were spoken so softly that she almost missed them and when she glanced up to confirm if he said something, Michonne found Rick's eyes locked on Judith and RJ, the older of the two walking the youngest through drills.

Their little family was enjoying an afternoon outside, her head resting on Rick's lap, him leaning against a tree, the two of them on a blanket littered with orange rinds, pretzels, and half-eaten sandwiches and their children a few yards away wielding sticks as substitutes for swords.

"For what?"

He looked down at her with a small, wistful smile on his face.

"For them," he said, tilting his head in Judith and RJ's direction. "For raising them. For protecting them. For preparing them," he paused, his eyes searching hers. "For doing what I couldn't while I couldn't. I thought I knew what to expect, but seeing them after all this time… getting to know them…" He shook his head in wonder. "You did this."

Michonne took in his words, his obvious love and gratitude shining through, and rather than responding immediately, she allowed them to sit in silence as she gathered herself.

By now she'd seen all forms of Rick—the brave, the eager, the proud, the strong, the feral, the determined, the cornered, the distraught, the fearful, the defeated, the hopeful, the hopeless—and because of this, because at times she knew him better than she knew herself, she knew that there was something more beneath what he said.

Disappointment. Frustration. Sadness. Guilt.

Shifting so that she was on her knees beside him, her body facing his, Michonne raised her hand to softly cup his cheek and turned his head towards her.

"They're us, Rick. You and me," she said, maneuvering her head to follow his eyes as he tried to look away, the emotions spilling between them. "You may not have been here," she continued, capturing and holding his gaze, her voice almost a whisper, but weighty nonetheless, "but don't for a second think that you weren't with us every single day. Everything you are, everything you've done… we did this. You and me."

She watched as he took a deep breath and slowly nodded, air filling his lungs as her words reached their intended target—his heart. It took a moment, but she saw the instant he loosened his grip on whatever weight was pulling him down.

Piece by piece. Day by day.

Michonne took a deep breath of her own when he reached up and took her hand in his, moving it from his cheek to press a kiss into the center of her palm before placing it over his heart. She moved closer to place a gentle kiss on his lips before pressing their foreheads together, the two of them finding strength and support in each other.

After a beat, Rick pulled away and placed a kiss on her forehead, leaning back not even a second before RJ's voice broke through their cocoon.

"Dad, can you show us how to do that flip again?"

The two of them smiled at each other, the request bringing them back to the here and now.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec," he yelled back, his voice warm with pride.

Michonne raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "'Show us how to do that flip again?' What are you—a wrestling coach?"

He shrugged, pleased with himself. "Well, I figure I might as well put all that training to good use."

"Yeah, okay, Commando," she teased as he stood up from their spot under the tree. "Just make sure you don't hurt yourself. I have no interest in hearing you complain about your back tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, placing a kiss on the top of her head before walking off to join their kids. "It'll be worth it."