Surviving The New World (Book Six in the Surviving The Walking Dead Series)

Dear Harper

Dear Harper,

My sweet child, you are as smart as they come, and just as stubborn, too, but I wouldn't change you for the world. You are my everything. I can't tell you I love you enough. There are no words in the dictionary or the alphabet that can describe how much I love you, so I hope that the day you get to read these will explain the depths of my love for you and your brother. I wish Joseph was here, I know we would've loved him, I know he would've been the perfect son, the perfect brother.

You, Elijah, Judith, Gracie, and all the other kids are connected at the hip, always playing together, eating together, and sometimes, I even catch you sleeping together(note to self: limit sugar intake past 6:00PM). You're like brothers and sisters and cousins. It makes me look back at my childhood and wish that I had a brother or sister growing up. One day, I'll tell you about your relatives, but let's save that for another day. Besides, you don't want me to run out of things to say, do you?

I can tell you about the family we've met along the way. Philip Blake, he's my biological father. Now, it's people like him that make me wish that I could pick and choose my relatives, but sadly, I was stuck with him. He used to be a good man, but something in him changed...I think it was the world and what it came to be. If none of this happened, I'm sure he'd still be that loving cop I once knew...then again...no, I'll save that part of my life for another letter.

Brian Blake, he's my uncle. I don't know anything about him other than the fact that I found him in the woods five years ago with some chick named Lilly Cull. We talked, he seems like a good guy, but because of my history with Philip, I couldn't let him join our community. Not Alexandria, not Hilltop, the Kingdom, not even Oceanside. I just couldn't bear to look at him when all I could see was Philip looking back at me. Still, I wish I had more time to ask him questions. Who was older, him or Philip, being one of them. It's not important, but the curiosity of it all now bugs me anytime it pops into my head...I bet he's the older one.

Hershel Greene, my completely unrelated, badass, and somewhat crazy grandfather. He died a long time ago during all this. There was a war between us and a community called Woodbury...it didn't end well. Still, even though Hershel is gone, I still carry the lessons he taught me along the way close to heart. Well, that and I kind of unofficially inherited his house which was completely destroyed by a tornado. Maybe one day, if this stuff ever comes to an end, we can all go back and rebuild a massive house for everyone to live together. I had a dream about that once, maybe one day it can become a reality for us. Would you like that? I know I sure would.

Dale Horvath, my, again, completely unrelated, funny, wore-his-heart-on-his-shoulder, self picked father. He died before Hershel did. It was a walker. It crept onto the farm and attacked him, but we put Dale down to end his suffering. I hate wording it like that, but that's what it felt like we did. You would've loved him and he would've loved you. He and his wife never had kids, I don't think they could, to be honest. Still, he would've loved having you for a granddaughter.

Carl Grimes, my brother. I know I said I didn't have any siblings growing up, but Carl...he was my brother. He was Rick's kid, he died trying to save someone, he died saving us. I'm sure I told you that somewhere in these pages and pages of letters, but I can never get tired of talking about him. He was my goober of a brother from another mother and father. He was Judith's brother, Rick's boy.

Rick...my other brother. God, I fucking miss him. Rick died five years ago saving everyone. However, unlike Carl, he went out with a bang...pun sadly intended. Rick shot a bundle of explosives and destroyed a bridge we were all working on to get rid of a massive herd, which Eugene is trying to call the Mega Herd. I won't accept it, it sounds too B-movie. The herd was on its way to Hilltop, it would've flattened Hilltop to the ground without even noticing what hit them, but Rick stopped them. He died saving us. I tried to find him after, but there were so many bodies...God, forgive me.