HOPE

Epilogue

The night that covered the Commonwealth was accompanied by a great snowfall.
Snow covered all the buildings in the city, including the infirmary where Leah was fighting against the terrible pain that invaded her.
Daryl hadn't left her side at any time, holding her hand as he whispered words of encouragement and helped her breathe between contractions. Finally and after almost 35 exhausting hours of labor, it was time for them to meet their child.
Dr. Johnson leaned between Leah's legs to help her receive their baby, indicating her when she needed to push with all her might.
About an hour later came the last push and with it the cries of a lil' girl leaving her mother's womb.
The baby calmed down a bit when she felt the warmth of Leah's chest and it was quickly discovered that she had her parents' eyes.
- "Do you wanna cut the cord,daddy?" - Gladys joked asking a dumbfounded Daryl, who with tears in his eyes that he didn't bother to try to hide and with a shaking hand, took the scissors that the woman handed him and cut the place that the doctor indicated .
The door slammed open, startling everyone in the room.
The cause was Princess, who was being held by Carol and Connie to try not to enter the room yet. - "Oh my God, what a beautiful thing! Can I hold the baby? Is it a boy or a girl?Can I be the godmother?"

- "Calm down Princess, at least let them breathe!" - Ezekiel's voice follows Juanita's and seeing the crowd that begins to form at the door, Daryl quickly tries to cover the lower part of poor Leah, who is still naked .

- "What's her name?" - Kelly asks.

The child's parents look at each other at this question and are immediately clear about it: "Hope, Hope Dixon."

Like the glimmer of hope they both had unknowingly created during the night before they left Alexandria to go to Charleston 9 months ago.

They were all surrounded by violence but life always managed to make its way into the world that now belonged to the dead.