Eyes Closed [TWD]

°•twenty two•°

"I'd prefer if you didn't come. You're still healing," Maggie says as she packs her bag.

"You know, dad used to say the same thing," I say, smiling with nostalgia.

She sighs, pausing her actions to look over to me.

"First, it was not going at all. Then, it became 'as long as you're behind me', then, it was me beside him.. The last time, when we went after Daryl- the day it happened. That was the first time he didn't say anything about me not going. He just let me get in the van," I remember.

Slowly, she takes a couple steps toward me.

"He knew I had to go," I say, almost reliving that moment Michonne, Rosita, Glenn, and I chased after Daryl.

Maggie nods, holding her arms out to me.

With only a single step, I'm in her arms and we hug each other tightly.

"This is for him. For us. And because it's for us, that means it's for him," she whispers.

"And then we have our future," I add.

"Exactly," Maggie agrees.

"Which is why you're the one that's gonna be behind me," I tell her.

She scoffs, but doesn't say anything as she pulls me tighter to her.

"I love you, mom. We're gonna be okay. The four of us," I say.

"Five.. Your dad, too," she adds.

"Him too," I nod.

She hesitates for a second before smiling softly, "Six of us."

"Six?" I ask, pulling back a bit to look at her.

"Carl too," she explains.

"Yeah?" I ask, smile growing on my lips.

"Of course," she grins.

At her words, and though I knew she accepted this long ago, I still felt grateful.

And as she smiles a bit more with a nod, I faintly hear Glenn's words of 'I'm glad it's him' in my head.

"Come here," she giggles, pulling me back into her as she kisses my head, "And for the record, I love you."

Laughing myself, I nuzzle further into her embrace.

We were still incomplete, though Maggie and I held each other with her baby bump hardly noticeable. Kate was outside helping the rest pack as Carl was spending time with Judith before we left. And of course, Glenn, Beth, Hershel weren't physically here.

But, with the sight of the war ending closer than ever and the optimism for our future- I felt a sense of security and comfort I hadn't felt in nearly two months now.

--

"Jade," a voice calls as we make our way through the field to the coordinates Dwight left on the map.

"King," I greet, spotting Ezekiel.

"Henry tells me that you spoke to him about his brother days ago. And weeks ago, Benjamin told me that he had spoken to you," he explains.

"I did. Henry's a good kid. And Benjamin was a good guy," I tell him, meaning each word.

"He is. And he was," he nods.

We continue walking, keeping the large group close together.

"Benjamin told me of your story. Your father's passing and how your mother is here. Now, I wish to have met your father as you and others speak so highly of him and I apologize for your loss. However, I have had the immense pleasure in meeting and working alongside your mother. She is a strong woman and I can very well see she's brought you up in her image."