FWD: Inspired by the song "Christmas In July" By Sufjan Stevens. July is a good time for things to grow. When I was planning out this story I know I wanted this chapter to act as a bit of a epilogue for Caryl. I'm a sucker for a happy ending however unrealistic it probably is but after everything they've been through. Don't think of it as so much a reality for the chracters, think of it as more of a heaven for them. The return of peace and life after the journey through the darkest parts of winter and death.
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Chapter 15: Christmas In July

It was the middle of the afternoon and he could see Carol in her garden warding off the rabbits and taking care of the sunflowers that hadn't stopped popping up voluntarily. He stopped to watch her bent over tugging on a particularly nasty root until she lost her footing and landed on her rear. She stood and kicked at the plant and wiped the back of her neck. Summer around these parts had turned out to be perfect for growing their own food but the heat had been relentless for the last week. When he'd decided to leave for a few random supplies she had stocked the boot locker of his truck full of water, insisting he was no good on the road if he got dehydrated. He knew she was also nervous because it had been his first run without her since the winter.

"Hey!" he shouted walking toward her with his bow slung over his shoulder. He saw her stand up bracing her back with one hand and wiping her brow with the back of her other.

She turned and beamed at him as he approached from the driveway. "Hey yourself!"

"You keepin' an eye out?"

"Walkers? Sure." She nodded and leaned back over to grasp a weed and throw it over to the wheelbarrow nearby.

He reached out for her arm and brought her to him. She dropped her gardening gloves on the ground and he surprised her with a very wanton kiss. She pulled away flushed with a twinkle in her eye. "Wanna screw around?" she teased him with kissy faces.

He blushed, "Stahp!" She laughed at him and he put his arm around her as they walked up to the house.

"Find anything good?" she asked as she poured him a glass of water in the kitchen. She sat at the table and watched as he gulped the liquid down and poured himself another glass.

He leaned against the cupboard and ignored her question. He eyed her up and down as he took a more conservative sip of his water. "Something different?"

"You've been gone three days." she rolled her eyes, "what could possibly be different?"

Daryl's ears picked up the soft sound of squeaking and mewling coming from the empty room down the hall. He gave Carol another questioning stare.

"What?" she turned red.

"You hidin' somethin'?" he asked. He sat down the glass and hurried down the hall. She followed behind him quickly and when he opened the door he was almost knocked to the ground by a drooling blonde beast.

"Surprise." she beamed. "He turned up yesterday and didn't want to leave." He turned to look at her leaning against the door frame. The licking furball was jumping on Daryl to get his attention and panting happily. Daryl gave her a pleasant smile and she giggled. He leaned down patting the pup on the head and ruffling its ears. "You can name him," she offered.

He looked looked up at her and chuckled. "Anything else I miss?"

A long silence hung in the air and he stood. She flushed red and thoughtfully answered his question, "Should know in 6 or 7 months." She grinned and walked back through the house and outside with the dog following her. It took a second for those numbers to sink in. He counted on his fingers and blanched at the realization. She had given him fair warning, they had discussed all the possibilities thoroughly and then left the whole thing up to chance.

After the reality of her coded confession hit him he ran out of the house and practically tackled her in the garden.

"Daryl!" she squealed.

"Ya sure?" he asked.

"About naming the dog? yeah." she chuckled and wiped a bit of dirt from the side of his face.

He scoffed and sat up next to her on the ground. "I don't care about some damn dog I meant you! You tellin' me you're…"

She stood up and grinned at him as she headed towards the shed, "Maybe. I 'spose that depends on how you feel about it." He watched her walk away and was struck by the subtle changes he'd been picking up on earlier. The gentle sway of her hips that were just a little wider, her breasts a little fuller, and the extra weight beginning to settle around her middle. They were things he hadn't noticed three days ago because they hadn't been apart in so long. Now he saw her becoming all the things she thought she had lost. He smiled softly as she returned with the trowel and weeder to tosse them on the ground next to the carrots. "I think maybe some chicken wire would be nice, keep the rabbits out," she stated calmly as she leaned over and started whacking away at the offensive weeds. She was glowing.

He took a deep breath. Barely unable to contain the mixture of excitement and panic, he reached for her. He tugged gently on her elbow encouraging her to join him next to the zucchini. He grasped her gloved hand, "It'll be fine."

He watched as the tension left her shoulders. She looked down and adjusted the hem of her shirt nervously. His eyes brightened at the barely noticeable bump. "I'm kinda old for this - whole thing - again," she scrunched up her face in worry.

"Nah, we'll be good." He assured her and like any time he'd gotten excited he began to ramble off his random thoughts and ideas, "Not many walkers in these parts anymore, and we got those neighbors to the south in that small community. Think they even have a doctor or some kinda midwife, maybe even the supplies we'd really need, other kids to keep the kid comp-"

"Daryl?" she cut in.

"Huh?" he asked mid ramble.

"I like Christmas." She looked at the dog over by the barn, lapping up water from bucket.

"Uh, I think more like January or February if I'm counting right." He held up his hands again to count.

"No." she nudged his shoulder as they sat together. "The dog."

He rolled his eyes and stood, "You already start callin' him that?"

"Maybe," she laughed and brushed off her knees. He helped her to her feet and put his arm around her and they walked back to their home.

"Just promise me one thing?" he looked at her.

"hmm?"

"You let me name the kid." he teased. She swatted him with her gardening gloves and he kissed her temple.

As they watched the sunset that night from the back porch steps she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. "You and me at the end of the world." she whispered.

He reached over and grabbed her hand. "Naw," he sighed, "I think you and me at the beginning sounds pretty good."

Fin